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“ This is the creamiest milk I ever saw 




Chimney Comer Tales 


By 

Caroline Stetson Allen 

(I 


Illustrations by 

Galen J. Perrett 



The Pilgrim Press 
Boston New York Chicago 



Copyright, 1916 
By CAROLINE S. ALLEN 




nCT 12 1916 



I 


a 


TO MY LITTLE 
JACK AND CHRISTINE 
IN MEMORY OF SHINING HOURS 






I wish to thank the editors of St. Nich- 
olas, Little Folks, The Christian Regis- 
ter, and Every Other Sunday for their 
courtesy in allowing me to use in this 
book stories and pictures which they 
have already printed. 

My especial gratitude is due to Mr. 
Galen J. Perrett, who has given his 
thought and skill so unstintedly to the il- 
lustrating of these little tales. 

Cakoline Stetson Allen. 


How am I to sing your praise, 

Happy chimney-corner days, 

Sitting safe in nursery nooks, 

Beading picture story-books? 

K. L. Stevenson. 


TABLE OF CONTENTS 


PAGE 

A Eeal Little Boy Blue 1 

The Dapple-Gray Pony 7 

Little Old-Time Sunday' 12 

Johnny New Kibbon 18 

When Polly Put the Kettle On 23 

The Old Old Woman Who Lhiiid in a Shoe . . 28 

Jimmy’s Twinkling Star 37 

A Long Ago BxVby Whose Cradle Was Green . . 41 

One I Love, Two I Love 46 

How Dorothy Lent a Hand 50 

When Silently Falling the Snow 54 

How Jack and Jill Made the Coast .... 58 

A Cheerful Little Girl and Her Cheerful Little 
Doll 

PAGE 

I Choosing the Doll 63 

II Naming the Doll 69 

III Dressing the Doll 79 

IV How THE Doll Worked 85 


TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PAGE 

V The Doll Goes A-Maying 91 

VI The Doll at the Sea-shore 98 

yil The Doll Learns True Politeness . . .112 

VIII The Doll Begins School 120 

IX The Dolls’ Letters 130 

X The Dolls’ Christmas 137 


LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS 

“This is the creamiest milk I ever saw’’ . Frontispiece 

PAGE 

He fell sound asleep 5 

“I had a little pony” 10 

Johnny asked for a hook 19' 

“Johnny shall have a new ribbon” 22 

There sat the old woman 25 

“I want to be a help” 27 

The boarders came by sixes and sevens .... 30’ 

“How do you like taking boarders?” .... 32 

“Your iMajesty, you must go” 33 

Papa was sure to sing a charming verse .... 37 

The Princess came down to the river to bathe . . 44 

He got out the wonderful blue-and-gold valentine . 48 

She could look beyond the low cliff to the shore . . 52 

There are George and Nellie 55 

The coast lay like a silver ribbon in the sun . . 62 



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CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


A EEAL LITTLE BOY BLUE 

O NCE there were four little brothers. The 
oldest had black eyes. He was called Little 
Boy Black. But I haven’t time to tell about him 
just now. The second little brother had brown 
eyes. He was called Little Boy Brown. But I 
cannot tell you about him either. The third little 
brother had gray eyes, and was called Little Boy 
Gray. There is a very nice story I could tell you 
about him, but I am sure you would rather hear 
about the fourth little brother. 

For the youngest little brother had blue eyes;, 
and his father and mother, his grandfather and 
grandmother, and every one else, called him 
Little Boy Blue. His eyes were very blue — as 
blue as the flowers you find down by the brook. 
You love the blue flowers, I know. And so I will 
tell you about Little Boy Blue. 

His jacket was blue, his trousers were blue,, 
his stockings were blue, and even his little shoes 
were blue. 


1 


2 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


One day Little Boy Blue’s mother said to him: 
“Do you want to go and visit Aunt Polly?” 
^^Who is Aunt Polly?” asked Little Boy Blue. 
“Aunt Polly lives on a farm, on a high hill. She 
has horses, and cows, and pigs, and hens, and 
ducks, and geese — ” “And elephants?” asked 
Little Boy Blue. “No, not any elephants. But 
she has a woolly white lamb.” “Oh, then I will 
go,” cried Little Boy Blue. So his mother went 
up-stairs and found a little blue traveling-bag. 
And in the little blue bag she packed some of 
Little Boy Blue’s clothes. Then Little Boy Blue 
and his mother went to visit Aunt Polly, who 
lived on a farm on a high hill. 

Little Boy Blue’s mother stayed two days, and 
Little Boy Blue stayed ten days. When his 
mother was going home, she said to Aunt Polly: 
“Little Boy Blue likes to play, but he likes to 
work, too. So be sure to give him some work to 
do every day.” 

“Very well,” said Aunt Polly. And so by- 
and-by Aunt Polly went to find Little Boy Blue. 
And she said to him: “Dear Little Boy Blue, 
what can you do to help ? ” He thought a minute, 
and then he said: “I can eat apples to see if they 
are ripe. And I can pull the roses in the garden, 
if you have too many.” 

“The apples are not ripe, and I have just 


A SEAL LITTLE BOY BLUE 


O 

O 


enough roses in the garden/’ said Aunt Polly. 
“Can you drive the cows out of the cornT’ 

“Oh, yes, I can,” said Little Boy Blue, “if 
Towzer can come too.” Towzer was the dog. 

“And perhaps you can look after the sheep'?” 

“Yes, Aunt Polly, I can do that,” said Little 
Boy Blue. 

On the shelf in Little Boy Blue’s room stood a 
little blue clock. And every morning at five 
o’clock the door of the clock flew open, and a 
cuckoo came out. The cuckoo said “Cuck-oo!” 
five times, and then went into the little blue clock 
again, and the little door closed after him. Then 
Little Boy Blue knew it was time to get up. 

AVhen he was dressed, he came down-stairs, 
and Aunt Polly gave him his breakfast. He had 
new milk in a blue bowl, and johnny-cake on a 
little blue plate. These he always carried out 
onto the door-step because he liked, while he was 
eating and drinking, to see the green grass bend- 
ing in the breeze, and the yellow butterflies danc- 
ing here and there in the sunshine. 

“This is the creamiest milk I ever saw,” said 
Little Boy Blue. 

“That’s nice,” said Aunt Polly. “Do you 
want some more?” 

“Yes, please,” said Little Boy Blue. So Aunt 
Polly brought the blue pitcher, and poured more 


4 


CHIMNEY COKNER TALES 


creamy milk into his little blue bowl, and Little 
Boy Blue said: Thank you, Aunt Polly/’ 

When Little Boy Blue could eat no more gol- 
den johnny-cake, and drink no more creamy milk, 
he jumped up from the door-step. 

First he put his arms around Aunt Polly’s neck, 
and gave her a hug and a kiss. Then he went 
into the house to get his horn. The horn was a 
little blue one, and it hung on a peg near the 
kitchen door. 

What do you suppose the horn was fori Why, 
Little Boy Blue watched the cows and the sheep. 
Then if they got into the wrong places, and tram- 
pled on the crops. Little Boy Blue blew the horn. 
One of the men always heard the horn, and came 
to help drive the cows or the sheep back where 
they belonged. 

All this was very pleasant. But one day — what 
do you think I The sheep ran away, and jumped 
over a stone wall into the meadow, and the cows 
got into the corn. Nobody knew how it hap- 
pened. Little Boy Blue had gone out that morn- 
ing, just as he always did, to look after them; 
and no one .had heard any horn. At last Towzer 
ran up to the barn, barking loudly. That was to 
give the alarm — about the sheep and the cows. 

‘ ‘ How queer ! ’ ’ said Aunt Polly, who was in the 
barn-yard feeding the chickens. 


A REAL LITTLE BOY BLUE 


5 


^‘How strange!’’ said Uncle Ben. 

‘‘Where’s Little Boy Blue?’’ asked the men. 
“I’ll call him/’ said Aunt Polly. So she 
walked, and she walked, all around the farm. A^ 
Aunt Polly walked she looked here, and she 
looked there. And she called; 

“Little Boy Blue! Come blow your horn. 

The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn.” 


Where do you think Aunt Polly found him? 
When the head-farmer asked her, “Where’s the 



He fell sound asleep, and dreamed about the woolly white lamb. 


little hoy that looks after the sheep?” Aunt Polly 
said: “He’s under the haycock, fast asleep.” 
“Shall we go wake him?” said the head-farmer. 
“No, no; let him lie,” said Aunt Polly. “For 
if we should wake him, he’d cry, cry cry.” 

You see Little Boy Blue got up so early, he 


6 


CHIMNEY COBNEB TALES 


grew sleepy. And the snn was hot. And the 
haymow made a soft pillow. So he fell sound 
asleep, and dreamed about the woolly white lamb. 

But on the day after that, Little Boy Blue took 
a nap, first, so that when he looked after the cows 
and the sheep he could keep awake. He never 
again had to be told to blow his horn. 

When Little Boy Blue’s visit was over. Aunt 
Polly said: ‘^You’ve been a dear little helper. 
I’m going to give you something to take home. 
And, oh, joy! it was the woolly white lamb! 


THE DAPPLE-GRAY PONY 

^ WHAT is it, Jack? YouVe lost your 
new ball? No? Your sled didnT know 
enough to stop when it got to the foot of the hill? 
What a stupid sled ! And so it sent you hang into 
the stone-wall.’^ 

‘^Come here, then, and I will tell you about — 
let me see — ” 

About H had a little pony.’ ” 

‘^Oh, yes. Once there were four little broth- 
ers, Tom, Dick, Ted and Maurice. 

‘‘Tom liked to sail boats. He planned to be 
a real sailor when he grew up, so he learned early 
to swim, and was often to be found near the water. 
He liked to watch the fishermen hauling in their 
nets, and to listen to the tales of old sea-captains. 
Sometimes the captains sat on big coils of rope, 
and sometimes on an over-turned dory; and they 
told wonderful things. 

“Certainly it was very pleasant that Tom had 
these good times by the sea. But there was one 
troublesome thing about it. He took a dislike to 
school. ‘If only Dick will do better!’ said their 
mamma. ’ ’ 

7 


8 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


^^Did her’ 

^‘No, it was the hardest work to start Dick at 
lessons. Grandpa couldn’t do it, Grandma 
couldn’t do it, Papa couldn’t do it. And Mamma, 
though she made her eyes red with weeping, 
couldn’t do it. No one had any effect, but Uncle 
Bob; and the way he managed was by saying, 
‘See here, young man, — if you ever want to take 
my hat again . . .’ He never had to finish the 

sentence. Dick would have out his arithmetic in 
a jitfy. Dick could beat all the boys at ball, and 
grew as strong as a young lion. But could he say 
the easiest multiplication-table? — I mean right 
through, in a flash, without stopping? Not he.” 

“I guess Ted could, then?” 

“Why, I’m sorry to tell you, but Ted so hated 
study that he even hid his geography under the 
flour barrel. The barrel had just come from the 
grocers, too, that very morning, so it was weeks 
before the book was found.” 

“What did Ted like to do?” 

“Ted liked gardening. And it was hard not 
to forgive him for playing truant, when he 
brought into the kitchen such plump tomatoes and 
crisp lettuce, all of his own raising. He found a 
bunch of ladies’ delights, placed on teacher’s desk, 
had a good effect too. 


THE DAPPLE-GKAY PONY 


9 


^‘No, it couldn’t be said that either Tom, Dick or 
Ted was a born student. So when little Maurice 
was five years old, and began school. Mamma 
sighed a great sigh, and said H suppose it will 
be the same story over again!’ She meant she 
thought Maurice, too, would have to be urged to 
get his lessons. But mercy! she needn’t have 
worried. 

Maurice took to school like a duck to water. 
The whole family were astonished at the way he 
shot ahead. He soon caught up with Ted, and a 
year or two later saw him in Dick’s class. Papa 
and Mamma felt quite bewildered when they 
found he must be held back. 

^‘For the old family doctor shook his head. 
^Not enough outdoors, ma’am,’ said he. ‘All 
this study is foolery. The boy’s as thin as a 
herring ! ’ 

‘ ‘ ‘ But what can I do ! ’ ” asked mamma, almost 
crying. 

“ ‘Do? Get him a pony,’ answered the doctor, 
‘Good morning, ma’am.’ 

“A live pony?” 

“Yes, a beautiful, strong dapple-gray pony. 
And at first, indeed for several weeks, all went well. 
The pony soon learned to love his little master as 
well as Maurice loved the pony. Every fine day 


10 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


they were to be seen trotting over the lanes and 
downs, and when the doctor happened to meet 
them he looked pleased. 

‘‘But one day on the high road Maurice met a 
lady who looked very hot, and who was having 
a hard time trying to keep her skirts out of the 
dust. 

“ ‘ Little boy, won’t you let me take your pony 
awhile?’ asked she. ‘I will pay you well if you 
will.’ Maurice said she might, and he jumped 
down and held the pony until the lady was 
mounted and away. 

“An hour later as the doctor went his rounds, 
he saw on the grass beside the road a small boy 
lying face downward. When he got closer to the 
small boy he found it was Maurice, and that he 
was crying bitterly. 

“ ‘What’s the matter, little Maurice?’ asked the 
doctor. 

“ ‘I had a little pony’ answered Maurice, sitting 
up, ‘And it was d — dapple-gray,’ he went on be- 
tween his sobs. ‘I lent him to a lady. She rode 
him far away.’ 

“ ‘Well, what of that?’ asked the doctor, ‘since 
he is here beside you now, and cropping the grass 
happily. ’ 

“ ‘She whipped him! She lashed him! she rode 
him through the mireV 





“ I had a little pony 













THE DAPPLE-GRAY PONY 


11 


‘But I see she paid you well/ said the doctor, 
for two gold coins lay near Maurice ^s hand. 

“ ‘Yes, but I would not lend my pony more for 
all my lady ’s hire ! ’ cried Maurice. 

“ ‘I donT blame you,’ said the doctor. ‘Come, 
I’ll help you rub him otf.’ 

“So Maurice wiped away his tears, and between 
them he and the doctor soon made the pony as 
clean and glossy as ever. That noon, after his 
usual dinner of oats and hay, the pony had an 
apple and an extra lump of sugar. 

“The lady never rode him again; but Maurice 
and he learned all the roads thereabout. Maurice 
grew to be as strong and rosy as Tom, Dick or 
Ted, and on bright mornings was to be seen on 
his dapple-gray pony cantering ‘over the hills and 
far away.’ ” 


LITTLE OLD-TIME SUNDAY 



NCE upon a time all the Day Children (it 


was a large family with stacks of rela- 
tions) met and had a party. They came together 
in a great, spreading twelve-room house, which 
had been built so long ago and had lasted so very 
many years that every one had a most comfort- 
able feeling about it. ^‘It has stood all this time, 
so it surely will keep on standing,’’ said they, 
‘‘And, even if it doesn’t, it’s so old that it’s no 
matter!” So the children were allowed to jump 
about, play ball against the walls, slide down the 
banisters, and shout at the tops of their voices. 

Only a few of the rooms were quiet ones. The 
August room, as it was called, was one of these. 
Somehow, on first entering it, one began to feel 
sleepy. The furnishings were of soft but rather 
faded green, a tall clock ticked drowsily in one 
corner, a bowl of water-lilies scented the air, and 
on coming in one made a bee-line for one of the 
many lounges and easy-chairs. In the August 
room were rows of charming story-books — 
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” “Sandford 
and Merton,” “Kobinson Crusoe,” “Little Susy’s 


LITTLE OLD-TIME SUNDAY 


13 


Six Servants/’ ‘‘Mrs. Overtheway’s Remem- 
brances,” “Hans Drinker,” and, oh, ever so many 
more! This room was so different from all the 
others — from the December one, for instance, 
where all was life and motion, often a molasses 
candy-pull going on, and the generous round tables 
covered with bright silks, moroccos, card-board, 
paste — in short, all sorts of desirable materials for 
making Christmas presents. 

Well, as I said, the Days had come together in 
this fine old house' for their party; and, when it 
was all over, little May Day clambered up into 
her mother’s lap and told her all about it. Mrs. 
Day was immensely interested, and, that she 
might not lose a single word, even laid aside the 
yellow and white tissue paper basket she was 
weaving. 

“Who were there, dearie?” she asked. 

“0 mother, so many I can’t remember half 
their names. There was New Years. They say 
she is fond of parties, and especially of making 
calls. She had a bright, glad face, and made us 
all feel good and want to play fair. Lots of the 
girls told me they found themselves making re- 
solves the minute she came in the room.” 

“Which room were you in?” 

“Well, it happened to be the January room on 
the top floor when she came; but it was pretty 


14 CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


cold up there, and we soon went into the February 
one, to see if Twould be any warmer there. It 
wasn’t much; but Cousin Valentine was in there, 
sitting in the middle of the room, and he jumped 
and warmed us up, chasing us around and trying 
to kiss us. He gave me this sprig of pussy-wil- 
low. See! The pussies on it are ’most out.” 

And so little May chattered away to her 
mother, telling of one or another boy or girl. 

^AVas Thanksgiving there?” 

‘‘Yes, and not a mite greedy this year. He 
and I pulled the wish-bone. He brought a big 
box of goodies — turkey and mince pies and nuts 
and raisins and oranges. He divided them 
around, and we did have such a feast! 

“There was one girl there I didn’t exactly like, 
She carried ’round a pile of school-books, and 
kept talking about Arithmetic and Geography, 
and said we’d made a mistake about the party, 
and that it was the day for school to begin.” 

“But I hope, darling, you were all kind and 
pleasant with one another.” 

May hesitated and fingered a piece of her 
frock; a pretty frock it was, of dimity — little 
nosegays of arbutus on a background of light 
green. 

“There was a dreadful time when we were 
playing blind-man’s-buff in the July room, and 


LITTLE OLD-TIME SUNDAY 


15 


Fourth of July and Sunday came together and 
knocked each other flat. I donT know why, ex- 
actly, but the children all said it was the worst 
thing that could happen, and most of them cried. 
I guess it was because Fourth of July is such a 
favorite. He^s noisiest of all, to be sure, and up- 
sets us; and he has the funniest round red face! 
But you see, mother, he’s so jolly! We call him 
the Glorious Fourth. We like him almost best 
of any of the Day cousins — except Christmas, of 
course. Christmas is as sweet-tempered as — as 
— as you are, mother! She didn’t even get cross 
when her sister Eve took away her fir-tree. 
She’d got all the pop-corn wound on the boughs 
and the candles ready to light when Eve said it 
belonged to her last year, and that she was going 
to have it this year too. Didn’t father say once 
that Eve was the one who started all the troubles 
in the world?” 

Father was joking, my blossom, and meant 
somebody else,” said Mrs. Day, smiling. ^‘Were 
any new children at the party?” 

^‘Yes, there were two little Sunday girls. One 
of them I’d seen before, but hadn’t really known 
either of them. When they came walking up the 
path, the children saw them from the windows; 
and asked, 'Who are they?’ The boys and girls 
all gathered about me and spoke very quickly, 


16 CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 

before the little girls should come in the front 
door. 

<< ‘They’re the Sundays,’ they said — ‘Nowa- 
days Sunday and Little Old-time Sunday. One 
of them you’ll like, and the other you won’t. 
One’s tiresome and the other’s a dear.’ 

“I’d heard of them before, so I felt pretty sure 
that Little Old-Time Sunday was the tiresome 
one. They came in and took otf their hats and 
jackets. Little Old-Time’s hat was a small round 
one of white, with a dark blue ribbon around it. 
I guess Nowadays had lost her own hat, and had 
to wear her big sister’s, it was such a monstrous 
one. It had great red poppies on it, and lots and 
lots of red ribbon. (She lent some of it after- 
ward to help trim the Christmas tree.) 

“And at first we all thought Nowadays Sun- 
day was the nicest. She could dance and knew 
ever so many new funny games. And she said 
she believed in doing what you please all the time. 
She could say such bright things, and kept us 
laughing so ! 

“But, though at first we were having the splen- 
didest time ever was, by and by we felt tired and 
wanted to stop playing awhile. But Nowadays 
Sunday said it was stupid to sit still, and made 
us keep on with ping-pong. And then, mother, 
little Old-Time Sunday came and took my hand, 


LITTLE OLD-TIME SUNDAY 17 

and led me out into the garden where it was cool 
and still. 

‘‘We sat under an old apple-tree that was pink 
and white with blossoms. At first we didn’t talk, 
and it seemed to me nothing had ever been so 
good as that quiet; for you see, mother, we’d 
played so hard, so many of us Days together! 
And, when Little Old-Time Sunday did speak, her 
voice was so sweet and gentle it was only another 
kind of quietness. She had a blue-covered ‘Pil- 
grim’s Progress.’ We read together. And there 
were pictures in it of all kinds of people — Chris- 
tian, Obstinate, Pliable, the Interpreter, and lots 
of others. 

“Then we walked along the road and picked 
some hepaticas and innocents — here they are, 
mother ; I saved them for you — and, when we got 
back to the other Days, I felt all rested, and not 
a hit rumpled up and cross as I had before. And, 

0 mother, I don ’t know what the others think, but 

1 love Little Old-Time Sunday!” 


JOHNNY NEW RIBBON 


T here was once a dear little boy named John 
and Johnny and Jack. For his father called 
him John, his mother and little sisters called him 
Johnny, and a little boy next door called him 
Jack. 

Johnny liked nothing so well as bright colors. 
When he and his two sisters, Letty and Mary, 
were shown the full moon coming up behind 
Grandpapa’s barn, Letty said: ‘‘Oh, how hig it 
is!” And Mary said: ^ ^ How round itisV’ But 
little Johnny cried: “It’s like my orange ball!” 

And when Aunt Greta took the children to the 
village store, and let them each choose some- 
thing, Letty wanted a hoop, and Mary chose a 
doll’s cooking-stove, but Johnny asked for a book. 

“But you can’t read yet, deary,” said Aunt 
Greta. “See here! look at this trumpet.” 

“I just want the book, please,” said Johnny. 
“He wants it because the cover’s such a bright 
green, ’ ’ said Letty. 

So Aunt Greta bought the green book, and 
Johnny took it to bed with him every night. 
Johnny was almost always merry and glad, be- 
18 



JOHNNY’S NEW IHBBON 19 

cause there are so many beautiful colors every- 
where. In the spring he saw the purple violets 
and pink May-flowers and the green grass. 

In the summer he saw the changing colors of 
the sea, and of the shells. He thought the shells 
looked like bits of the sea, grown hard. 




Johnny asked for a book. 

Then in the fall he liked to fill his hands with 
shining brown nuts. But he liked even better to 
gather the bright red and yellow leaves. 

When winter came, the colors were quite dif- 
ferent, but Johnny liked to run, in his scarlet 
coat and cap, to look at the frozen pond. The 


20 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


pond was a silver mirror, and he could see the 
blue sky in it. 

But one thing Johnny didn’t like at all. Letty 
and Mary wore hair-ribbons, and he didn’t have 
any. ^ ^You’re a hoy, Johnny,” said Mary. 
^‘And hoys don’t wear hair-ribbons.” 

But Johnny still looked longingly at the yellow 
ribbons tying Letty ’s brown braids, and the blue 
bow topping Mary’s yellow curls. 

want a ribbon,” said Johnny. Now when 
Letty ’s birthday came. Mama was in bed with a 
bad cold. So Letty couldn’t have any party. 
But Mama said that she and Mary might, after 
school, go to the fair. 

The fair was in Miss Lucy Hale’s parlor; and 
one could buy toys and lemonade and other 
things. 

Shall we take Johnny?” asked Mary. 

^^Oh, dear, no!” cried Letty. ‘‘He would be 
such a bother.” 

So the two little sisters got ready, and went to 
the fair. Mama had given each of them some 
pennies to spend, and at first Letty felt very 
happy, and didn’t give a thought to Johnny. 

She bought a little doll’s pump. It was a real 
pump, and if you put water in, and then worked 
the handle, up and down, the water would run 
out of the spout. 


JOHNNY NEW RIBBON 21 

Mary spent all of her pennies buying glasses of 
lemonade. ^^IHs so good, Letty!’^ she said. 

When Mary had finished, she looked all about 
for Letty, but Letty was nowhere to be seen. 

The truth is, Letty had asked if she might ex- 
change the toy pump for a piece of ribbon. It 
was a charming ribbon — sky-blue. 

Letty had remembered Johnny, playing alone 
at home, and how he wanted a hair-ribbon. 

So Letty ran home with her parcel. First she 
went up to her mama^s room, and, softly opening 
her door, said: ‘‘Oh, Mama, can Johnny go to 
the fair?’’ 

“Why yes, darling. I don’t mind if you take 
him for a little while. But put on his thick coat 
and his new fur bonnet. Don’t forget his mit- 
tens!” 

Then Letty hurried to the nursery. There sat 
Johnny, all by himself in the window-seat, for 
Nursie had slipped down to the kitchen to gossip 
with the cook. Johnny looked quite forlorn. 

Letty ran over to him, and how bright his little 
face grew when he saw her ! She drew the pretty 
blue ribbon from her pocket, singing: 

“Johnny shall have a new bonnet, 

And Johnny shall go to the fair; 

And Johnny shall have a new ribbon, 

To tie up his bonny brown hair. 



22 CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 

“And why may not I love Johnny? 
And why may not Johnny love me? 
And why may not I love Johnny, 

As well as another body?’’ 


“And Johnny shall have a new ribbon.” 

So Johnny had a hair-ribbon at last! And he 
went to the fair and stayed a whole half-honr, 
and had a beautiful time with Letty and Mary. 


WHEN POLLY PUT THE KETTLE ON 


T here was once a little girl who was always 
somewhere else. When breakfast was over, 
and her two sisters all ready to start for school, 
this little girl was never to be found. 

Then her mother would say, ‘‘Where can Polly 
be? See if she is up-stairs, Molly.’’ Molly 
would look in all the rooms, and say, “No, I can’t 
find her. She must be somewhere else.” 

At last her mother told a wise fairy all about 
the trouble she had with her little daughter. And 
the wise fairy told the mother just what to do. 
Then the mother called the child to her, and said : 
“This is too bad, Polly dear! I shall have to do 
something to help you to be in the right place at 
the right time.” 

“I had rather be somewhere else,” said Polly. 
She did not see that, while speaking, her mother 
took a bunch of blue larkspur and waved it three 
times before the face of the clock. 

In a flash Polly found herself in the middle of 
a wide green field. Polly knew it was a long 
way from home, because she had played in all 

23 


24 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


the fields within two miles of their house. This 
field she had never seen before. Many pretty 
daisies whitened the grass, and Polly thought, 
‘ ‘ How nice it is here ! I will make a long daisy- 
chain. ’ ’ 

So she picked a lapful of daisies, and sat upon 
the soft green grass, and made a chain. am 
glad I am somewhere else,’^ said Polly to herself. 
^^When tea-time comes, I wonT have to put on 
the kettle.’’ 

I must tell you that Molly and Sally and Polly 
had, through the day, their little tasks about the 
house; and one of these tasks was to help their 
mother to get ready the good hot supper. 

Well, Polly made the daisy-chain, and then she 
made a daisy-bracelet. A meadow-lark flew over 
to where she was sitting, and sang to her. So 
Polly was glad. 

This was all very well. But by and by the sun 
grew hot, and Polly became very hungry. So she 
walked over to where she saw a cow in one corner 
of the field. The cow looked at her kindly, with 
its big, round eyes, so Polly went up quite close to 
the cow and said : 

^ ‘ Cushy cow bonny, let down thy milk. 

And I will give thee a gown of silk, 

A gown of silk and a silver tee, 

If thou wilt let down thy milk to me. ’ ’ 


POLLY PUT THE KETTLE ON 25 


But the cow said: ''Moo-oo-ooo ! I’d rather be 
somewhere else!” And the cow jumped over the 
wall into the next field, and ran away. 

At this, Polly felt a little sad. But she said to 
herself, ‘^Oh, well. I’ll go to the old woman.” 
For 

‘ * There was an old woman, 

And, what do you think? 

She lived upon nothing 
But victuals and drink 1 ’ ’ 



There sat the old woman upon the door-step. 


So Polly felt pretty sure of getting something 
to eat. 

She walked to the old woman’s cottage, and 
there sat the old woman upon the door-step. 

am hungry,” said Polly. ‘‘Will you please 
give me some bread?” 


26 


CHIMNEY COENER TALES 


‘‘You surely don’t need food!” cried the old 
woman, “for 

‘What are little girls made of? made of? 

What are little girls made of? 

Sugar and spice, and things that are nice; 

And that ’s what little girls are made of ! ’ 

“As for me, I’d rather be somewhere else.” And 
she jumped up and went into the cottage. 

“Cross patch, 

Draw the latch. 

Sit by the fire and spin, ’ ’ 

muttered Polly, for she felt quite upset. 

Just then she saw a little boy under a mul- 
berry-tree. He had a small dish in one hand, 
and in the dish was something brown. ‘ ‘ Perhaps 
it is pudding,” thought Polly, “and perhaps the 
little boy will give me some of it.” 

So she went closer, and said: “Little boy, I 
am hungry. What is in your dish?” 

“Mustard,” answered the little boy, sadly, and 
he began to cry. 

Polly knew he was Jacky; she remembered 

“When Jacky ’s a very good boy. 

He shall have cakes and a custard ; 

But when he does nothing but cry. 

He shall have nothing but mustard.” 

“I wish you had been good,” said Polly. 


POLLY PUT THE KETTLE ON 27 



‘‘Are you good?” asked Jacky, wiping bis eyes. 
“No, Ibn not. But I’m going to be,” said 
Polly. And sbe ran borne as fast as sbe could go. 

When Polly got borne sbe found ber own dear 
mother rocking by tbe fire. Polly climbed up 
into ber lap, and gave ber a bug. 


“I want to be a help,” said little Polly. 

“Home is good! And I want to be a help,” 
said little Polly. Then Polly’s mother looked 
very happy. Sbe smiled, and sbe smiled. 

“Is it almost supper-time?” asked Polly. 
“Yes,” said ber mother. “It is almost six, 

‘Molly, call the muffin-man, 

Sally, blow the bellows strong, 

Polly, put the kettle on, 

And we’ll all take tea!’ ” 

And Polly fairly flew to put on tbe kettle ! 



THE OLD OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED 
IN A SHOE AND HOW SHE 
TOOK BOARDEKS 

O NCE there were three little sisters named 
Mattie, Patty, and Prue. They loved each 
other dearly, and played together happily. 

But one winter Mattie and Patty had scarlet 
fever, and so Prue had to go from home. She 
went to Great-Aunt Ann’s. 

Great-Aunt Ann had thin straight red hair, — 
but what frosted cookies she always kept on 
hand! Her nose was rather unshapely, but how 
good-naturedly she looked at naughty children! 
Her gowns were scant and plain, — but she knew 
dozens and dozens of stories! 

So when Nursey told Prue that she was to sit 
still, and not fidget while her hair was brushed, 
because she was going on the next train to Great- 
Aunt Ann’s, she clapped her hands. Goody 
cried she. 

And that very night at bedtime, Great-Aunt 
Ann cuddled Prue in her arms, and told her the 
story of ^‘The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, 
and How She Took Boarders.” 

28 


OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN SHOE 29 

''You won't leave out any, darling Great-Aunt 
Ann, will you?" asked Prue, patting Great-Aunt 
Ann's thin cheek. 

"Not a word. Once upon a time there was an 
old woman who lived in the oddest house you ever 
saw. At first it had been built with rounded 
ends. Then, as more dear little boys and girls 
were born into the family, a large 
back-room was built on. And, 
finally, when a small front porch 
was added, the old woman's house 
looked, for all the world, exactly 
like a shoe. 

"By this time she really didn't 
know what to do, because she had 
so many children, and children 
have to be fed. And where was 
the money to come from? You 
can't expect children to live on 
bread and potatoes. Grown-ups 
might, but you see children need 
a number of things, — ^plum-puddings (Jack Hor- 
ner could tell you that), tarts of a Sunday, and 
now and then, barley candy. ^ 

"So the old woman sat herself down to think. 
And the upshot of her thinking was that she de- 
cided to take boarders. She at once put out a 
sign, fastening it to the blue pump-handle in her 



30 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


front yard, where it might easily be seen by all 
wayfarers stopping for a drink. The notice 
read : 

DO BOARD HERB. 

I Am Used to Children. 

‘‘Why, the boarders came by sixes and sevens! 
But the old woman was very careful about what 



Why, the boarders came by sixes and 
sevens ! 


sort of folks should live in the Shoe, as it was 
called. 

“Now it happened that one day the old wo- 
man’s niece, Datfy-Down-Dilly, came up to town, 
in a fine petticoat and a green gown. She wanted 


OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN SHOE 31 


to visit the theatres, but there wasn’t a thing go- 
ing on. She went to all the shops, and bought, 
among other things, an Easter bonnet and three- 
eighths of a yard of yellow silk, with which to 
mend her fine petticoat. But time hung heavy. 

‘Such dullness!’ sighed Daffy-Do wn-Dilly. 
‘I believe I’ll run out to aunt’s, and see how 
she gets on with her boarders. Bobby Shaftoe 
wrote me a letter all praise of her muffins.’ 

“So Daffy-Down-Dilly started off. Her way, 
after she had left town, led up Primrose Hill, and 
Primrose Hill was dirty. There she met a pretty 
miss, who dropped her a curtsey. 

“ ‘Can you tell me the road to the Old Woman 
Who Lives in a Shoe!’ asked Daffy-Down-Dilly. 

“ ‘Why,’ replied the pretty miss, ‘there was an 
old woman lived under the hill, and if she’s not 
gone she lives there still. Baked apples she sold, 
and cranberry pies, and she^s the old woman that 
never told lies.’ 

“ ‘Of course she didn’t!’ said Daffy-Down- 
Dilly, quite angrily. She hurried on and soon 
came to her aunt’s house. 

“There sat the old woman in the front porch, 
with all her children about her, but not a boarder 
was to be seen. 

“ ‘How do you like taking boarders, aunt!’ 
asked Daffy-Down-Dilly, taking off her yellow 


32 CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 

bonnet, and kissing the five youngest children. 

^Very much,^ said the old woman. ‘Such a 
useful experience!^ 

“ ‘But where are the boarders?’ asked her 
niece, peering in at the open door. 



“How do you like taking boarders, Aunt?” asked 
Daflfy-down-dilly. 


“ ‘They’ve all left,’ said the old woman quite 
cheerfully. 

“ ‘But — ^but’ began the niece — 

“ ‘I’ll explain,’ said the old woman. ‘Wait a 
bit, and I’ll name ’em otf. There was Old King 
Cole; yes, even Royalty came to me!’ and she 



OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN SHOE 33 


drew herself up proudly. ^He was a merry old 
soul, if there ever was one ! But, my dear, he was 
always calling for something, so that I had to be 
forever on the trot. He called for his pipe, and 
he called for his bowl, and he called for his fid- 
dlers three.’ 



Ht must have got on to your nerves, aunt,’ 
said Datfy-Down-Dilly. 

''‘Oh, dreadfully! I had at last to say, 
"Your Majesty, you must go.” Then there was 
the Crooked Man.’ 

" 'What was the matter with him?* 

" 'The Crooked Man was well enough in his 
way, but he never paid his board. Finally, one 
day, he found a crooked sixpence against a 


34 


CHIMNEY COENER TALES 


crooked stile. Thinks I to myself, he’ll pay me 
now. Butj no! if you’ll believe it, he bought a 
crooked cat.’ 

^Shameful!’ cried Datfy-Down-Dilly. 

Ht caught a crooked mouse. I’ll say that 
much for the cat.’ The old woman then went on: 

‘Peter boarded here a week: but then my 
pumpkins gave out. He wouldn’t so much as 
taste of anything else. I felt pleased when Little 
Tommy Tittlemouse came. He was an easy 
boarder. Every day he would start otf after his 
breakfast with his fishing-rod, and I’d not see sign 
of him till sun-down. But — how can I tell it? — 
I found out that he caught fishes in other men^s 
ditches! So, of course, I had to let him go.’ 

“Daffy-Down-Dilly had felt a little shy about 
asking for one of the boarders, but finally her 
curiosity got the better of her. 

“ ‘What,’ asked she, ‘has become of Bobby 
Shaftoe?’ 

“Then all the other children shouted in a 
chorus, ‘Didn’t you know? Bobby Shaftoe ’s gone 
to sea ! ’ 

“ ‘He had silver buckles on his knee,’ said one 
of the little girls. 

“Datfy-Down-Dilly murmured to herself, 
‘He’ll come back, and marry me — pretty Bobby 
Shaftoe 1’ 


OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN SHOE 35 


^And how about Mr. and Mrs. Jack Sprat T 
she said aloud. 

‘^At this question, the old woman’s cheeks grew 
very red. ^Talk of cranky people! Jack Sprat 
could eat no fat, — his wife could eat no lean. 
There was never any suiting them. Children are 
the only satisfactory boarders. Little Boy Blue 
was the most obliging little fellow, — always 
ready to blow the dinner-horn for me. And 
little Miss Muffet, — the best child! While the 
Sprats were fussing over their platter, she’d 
sit on a tutfet, eating her curds and whey. Even 
when there came a big spider and sat down beside 
her, she never cried a tear, though sadly fright- 
ened. But how I am running on ! Here it is five 
o’clock. Jack and Jill, run up the hill, and fetch 
a pail of water. J ack ! be nimble. Jill ! be quick. 
And you, Polly, put the kettle on, and we’ll all 
take tea.’ 

Hf you’ve no boarders, how do you live?’ 
asked Daffy-Down-Dilly. 

‘‘ ^At first it was pretty hard,’ said the old 
woman, ‘but luckily I happened to remember a 
cousin of mine, and — what do you think ? — she 
lived upon nothing but victuals and drink, — noth- 
ing! So I made up my mind we’d do the same. 
Of course, that made everything simple enough. 
Clothes alone had been such a bother. Daddy had 


36 


CHIMNEY COENER TALES 


to go a-hunting day in and day out. Now, he has 
a new master (because he canT work any faster), 
and his wages are but a penny a day, yet I man- 
age beautifully. When my dear children are very 
hungry, there’s pease porridge hot, pease porridge 
cold, pease porridge in the pot, nine days old. ’ 
^But,’ objected Datfy-Down-Dilly, ‘will the 
gum-drops hold out?’ 

“However, the gum-drops did hold out, as well 
as the pease porridge, and — of a Sunday — the 
tarts. And ever afterwards all went well with 
the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.” 

Prue liked this story so well that when Mattie 
got over the scarlet fever, and came to Great- 
Aunt Ann’s, it had to he told to both little girls. 
When Patty got well she, too, came to Great-Aunt 
Ann’s. And then Great-Aunt Ann, with an arm 
around one little girl, and an arm around another 
little girl, and a third little girl in her lap, told 
the story to Matty and Patty and Prue. 



Papa was sure to 


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JIMMY’S TWINKLING STAR 


J IMMY had a fairly good time all day, but his 
happiest hour was the cuddley one when Mam- 
ma came into the nursery to put him to bed. She 
still called him her baby, although he was fast 
outgrowing his frocks. 

Morning was very well in its way. As soon as 
Papa’s breakfast was over, he came upstairs, and 
caught Jimmy in his strong arms, and tossed him 
high in the air. Papa was sure, too, to sing a 
charming verse (though it began with rather long 
words — Latin perhaps) 

‘ ‘ Hickory dickory dock ! 

The mouse ran up the clock, 

The clock struck one, 

The mouse ran down. 

Hickory, dickory dock!” 

When Papa came to ^‘The mouse ran down,” 
Jimmy always turned his head to look at the tall 
clock in the corner. Never yet had the mouse been 
seen to run up the clock, but Jimmy held a fast 
hope that, if only quick enough, he would some day 
at least see it run down. It was very exciting! 

37 


38 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


Next came the bath, beginning with a strange 
and unnecessary soaping by Nursey. This was 
made bearable only by her way of singing, with 
every vigorous pass of the sponge, 

“Here we go uppy-up-uppy ! 

Here we go downy-down-downy! 

Here we go ^round and ’round and ’round! 

( Nursey ’s cheeks grew fiery red at this point) 

And here we go roundy-round-roundy ! ’ ’ 

The bath ended with a great splashing, which on 
one proud occasion sent Pussy in a flying leap 
quite to the other end of the nursery. 

After Jimmy’s breakfast, and while Nursey 
ate hers, he was allowed to play by himself in the 
garden. At least, the grown-ups thought he was 
playing, but he was really making discoveries, — 
of the most interesting kind, too. For where 
were those silver bells and cockle shells? And 
perhaps Kitty Fisher found Lucy Locket’s pocket 
in some garden path; what was more likely? 
Lucy Locket was a very careless girl, and had no 
doubt lost her pocket again. True, there was not 
a penny in it, — but that ribbon around it! The 
ribbon might be blue, or still better yellow ! 
Jimmy wished Nursey would spend more time 
over her breakfast. 

Naptime came quickly, and the rest of the day 
was full of pleasant play. Robin and Jean and 


JIMMY TWINKLING STAR 


39 


Daisy came home from school. And Jimmy sat 
on the grass, and watched them build London 
Bridge and call ^‘Here puss! puss! puss!’^ from 
the apple-trees. Sometimes the children sat in 
a sedate row, and a button was mysteriously 
passed from hand to hand. What was it all 
about? Jimmy didn’t know, but he liked to see 
all that went on. And once, — oh, joy! he was 
placed at one end of the row, and Daisy pressed 
the button firmly into his plump hands. 

Accidents sometimes happened. Jimmy’s fore- 
head got a big bump the day Robin was Jack- 
be-nimble and Jean was the candle-stick. But 
Nursey made a plaster quite like the one told of 
in the Jack and Jill story. And Robin gave him 
the stub of a blue pencil. There was a chorus of 
^Mt’s not green, Nursey!” when the pencil went 
into Jimmy’s mouth. 

Yes, the day was very well, but it was nothing 
to the hour when Mamma came home. You see. 
Grandmamma was ill, and Mamma went every 
day to take care of her. But by Jimmy’s bed- 
time she was sure to be at home again. 

Nursey might think she could cuddle babies. 
Why, she didn’t know the A B C of it! When 
Mamma’s arm came around Jimmy it was swans- 
down and roses ! And Mamma never wore stiffly- 
starched aprons. Her gowns were of soft com- 


40 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


fortable woolen. The fire was wont to start up 
and crackle cheerily after she came in. Pussy 
would show black against the yellow tiles, and 
wave her tail peacefully. 

On one particular night Mamma wore a gown 
of heavenly blue, and at her throat was a tiny 
diamond star. Now Jimmy, since he went to 
sleep by sundown, had seldom seen the real stars. 
But on one wakeful night Papa had carried him 
to the window, and pointed them out to him. So 
now, as Jimmy lay in Mamma’s lap and watched 
the glistening jewel within the blue of her gown, 
he thought it must be one of those bright stars. 
He murmured something sleepily. 

‘AVhat did baby say, Robin I” asked Mamma. 

‘^He said ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star,’ ” re- 
plied Robin ; and Robin finished the verse : 

‘ ‘ ‘ How I wonder what you are ! 

Up above the world so high, 

Like a diamond in the sky. ’ ’ ’ 

Jean and Daisy had just come into the nursery 
to kiss Jimmy goodnight, and they went on with 
Robin: 

“ ‘When the radiant sun is gone, 

And he nothing shines upon. 

Then you show your welcome light, 

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.’ ” 


A LONG AGO BABY WHOSE CRADLE WAS 
GREEN 


O NE bright May morning little Alice Dale 
and her mamma went to sit in the apple- 
orchard. The sky was blue, and the air sweet 
with the scent of apple-blossoms. 

When they were seated under one of the trees, 
Mamma took out her sewing, and Alice began to 
play with her doll. 

Mamma was making a pink dimity frock for the 
doll. The frock was low-necked and short- 
sleeved, and it was to have a sash of pink-and- 
white ribbon. 

The doll’s name was Posy. think I will 
give Posy her nap now,” Alice soon said. ^^But 
what can I use for a cradle. Mamma dear?” 

Mamma thought a moment and then she said, 
<< Why, I know what will make a very nice cradle !” 

And Mamma took up her straw work-basket, 
and turned it upside-down in her lap. That was 
to let the thimble, and scissors, and needles, and 
spools, and the doll’s pink frock fall into her 
apron. 


41 


42 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


Under the trees the petals of apple-blossoms 
lay so thickly it was like a soft carpet. 

Alice ran here and there over this carpet, and 
in a short time had picked up enough petals to 
line the basket-cradle. 

‘^And I will pile them up high at one end,” 
said little Alice, ‘^and that will be the pillow.” 

Then she put Posy in the cradle, and covered 
her with a soft mulberry-leaf. 

It was easy to fasten the basket to a low branch 
of one of the apple-trees. Posy shut her eyes at 
once, while Alice, as she rocked the cradle, laughed 
to see a fat robin perched close to the doll, as 
if to keep guard. 

Mamma and Alice liked to sing little songs to- 
gether; and now they sang: 

‘^Rock-a-by, baby, 

On the tree top! 

When the wind blows 
The cradle will rock.’^ 

By-and-by Alice got a little tired of rocking Posy, 
so she lay down upon the grass, and nestled her 
head against Mamma. 

‘‘Won’t you tell me a story!” asked she; and 
she added, “About a baby, please. 

Mamma had told stories to so many children 


A LONG AGO BABY 43 

that she always had one on hand. She now be- 
gan promptly : 

‘‘I will tell you about a baby who lived a long 
time ago, in a land called Egypt. The King of 
Egypt was not a kind man. Just think! he did 
not love little babies.’’ 

‘AVhy, Mamma cried Alice. ^‘Now in 
E^pt,” went on Mamma, there was a little 
baby boy. And this baby’s mother was afraid 
that the bad King might not let her keep the dar- 
ling baby. So of course she wanted to hide him 
where the King should not see him. 

The baby’s mother thought of four or five 
places. And at last she put the baby in the 
place she felt would be safest of all. She made a 
sort of little cradle of green rushes. The rushes 
were woven together, and smeared with pitch. 
She tucked the baby snugly up in this cradle, just 
as you tuck up Posy. 

Then she let the cradle float, like a nice little 
boat, on the edge of a river. All around the boat 
grew tall green bulrushes. 

The baby had a big sister, whose name was 
Miriam. Miriam loved her little brother dearly; 
and through the day she used to go many times to 
the bulrushes. 

There was a King’s daughter. A King’s daugh- 


44 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


ter is called a princess. The princess came down 
to the river to bathe. And she happened to come 
to the very place where this baby boy lay floating 
in his pretty green cradle. 

Now this was a good kind princess; but you 
know babies are sometimes startled when they see 
a new face. ^ ‘ ‘ Yes, I know, ’ ’ said Alice. ‘ ‘ Posy 

cried today when she saw the organ-grinder.’’ 

^‘Well, the baby, when he saw a strange lady 
looking at him, began to cry loudly. The princess 
felt sad to see his tears, and wanted to comfort 
him. She took him gently in her arms, and 
soothed him. will name him Moses,” said she 
to herself. She thought she would take Moses 
home to the palace, so that she might cuddle and 
love him to her heart’s content. 

But the princess knew she would have to find 
someone to help take care of the child. So she 
bade Miriam come to her, and asked ‘‘Do you 
know of somebody who would be a good nurse for 
this baby?” Miriam answered “Yes.” “Will 
you bring the woman to me?” Miriam said she 
would. 

And Miriam hurried home, and brought her 
mother. For who else could be to little Moses 
such a good nurse? 

“I guess Moses smiled when he saw his 
Mamma coming!” said Alice. Just then, crack — 



The Princess came down to the river to bathe 









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1 . 1. 






A LONG AGO BABY 


45 


crack! went something above Alice’s head. Per- 
haps she should have tied Posy’s cradle to a 
stronger branch. Or perhaps Posy awoke, 
wanted to hear the story, and bounded about too 
much. At any rate, the bough broke, the cradle 
fell, and down came the dolly, the cradle, and all 1 


ONE I LOVE, TWO I LOVE 
OR 

A SURPRISE ALL AROUND 


I T was the thirteenth of February, and valen- 
tines, which for the past three weeks the 
children of Listening Hollow school had talked 
about steadily, were now more than ever the sub- 
ject of the day. 

Jimmy knew pretty well who was going to get 
his valentine — the blue-and-gold wonder he had 
last Saturday paid out all his pocket-money for 
at Miss Cruddle’s variety-store. He looked at 
Flossie Sylvester, just now the centre of a group 
of very little girls. They had come into the 
school-room from coasting, and were warming 
up. It was twenty minutes to nine, and they 
crowded about the fiery-eyed stove, and jumped 
up and down, glancing back often at the relent- 
less hands of the clock. A scorching odor came 
from one pair of too venturesome mittened hands. 

Jimmy thought he was studying his spelling 
lesson. R-e-c-e-i-v-e and B-eJ-i-e-v-e, — when 
should he be sure of those second syllables'? 

46 


47 


ONE I LOVE, TWO I LOVE 

said Bobby Weston, ‘‘If you think it’s 
e-ij spell it i-e and you’re all right.” Jimmy 
copied “achieve” nine times, but meanwhile his 
mind was only on the chatter around the stove. 

“I guess I’ll have lots of valentines!” said 
Flossie, tossing her yellow curls. “I had eight 
last year.” 

“I had five,” said dimpled Marjorie. Then 
all the little girls joined in telling of their valen- 
tines, all except blue-eyed, short-haired Nancy. 
Jimmy wondered why Nancy said nothing. She 
didn’t seem sorry. No, she was looking eagerly 
at the others in turn, and when Flossie and Mar- 
jorie and Jane and the rest minutely described 
their valentines, a glad look came into her eyes, 
“just as if ’twas her valentines!” thought ob- 
servant Jimmy. 

Just then his six-year-old sister Alice came into 
the school-room, crying with the cold. While 
sliding in the yard she had fallen from her sled, 
and her little coat, hood and mittens were mostly 
white instead of the scarlet in which she had set 
forth, and she brought quite a snow drift to Flos- 
sie ’s feet. “Do get away, you sopping little 
thing!” cried the golden-locked one, edging away. 
“And, girls, you remember the pink and silvery 
valentine with rosebuds and cupidsf Well, I 
think /' — her voice lowered impressively, “I think 


48 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


it was made ahroad!^^ She looked at Nancy to 
see the effect of her words, but Nancy was no 
longer listening. She had already begun to take 
off the dripping garments from shivering, sob- 
bing Alice, whispering some magic words that 
brought a bright smile to the child ^s face, and one 
much like it to Jimmy’s over the speller. ‘^Will 
you truly, truly, make me a wal’time?” said little 
Alice. 

Then it was nine o’clock. The bell rang, and 
the first lesson was Spelling. Jimmy tried val- 
iantly, but failed on four words, and Nancy went 
above him. When, after school, he and Bobby 
and Nathan passed the girls in the hollow, he 
heard Flossie say, ^‘How stupid some of the class 
were in Spelling today!” And then Nancy’s 
sweet voice said, ^^But how well Jimmy reads; 
don’t you think so?” Jimmy straightened up 
and ran home very fast. That evening, after he 
had done his sums, he got out the wonderful blue- 
and-gold valentine, and looked at it a long time. 
Then he wondered whether Flossie ended in i-e 
or e-i. Then, slowly and with great care, he 
squeezed the pretty laced paper into its envelope, 
which was rather too small to hold it comfortably. 
He dipped his pen into the ink, rubbed his rough 
sleeve over a blot that would come, and suddenly 
wrote on the envelope. 



He got out the wonderful blue-and-gold valentine 









ONE I LOVE, TWO I LOVE 49 
Miss Nancy Gray. 

Oh, how surprised he was ! And next morning, 
St. Valentine’s Lay, when Nancy got it, oh, oh, 
how surprised she was ! 


HOW DOROTHY LENT A HAND 


M other was putting the last things upon 
the table, ready for the twelve o’clock din- 
ner, and giving occasional glances out of the win- 
dow to see if the two little girls were in sight. 

The school-house was only a few minutes ’ walk 
from the home, to which their healthy young ap- 
petites hurried them at noon. Somehow the re- 
turn walk always looked longer, though the girls 
did not stop, as did most of the hoys, to dip their 
heads in the brook that tumbled through the 
meadow and under the road just before you 
reached the school-house. The boys, to be sure, 
came into school with dripping locks, which main- 
tained a stout defiance to the hasty application 
of pocket-combs; but, as the ^‘Ugly Duckling” 
observed, it was ‘^so refreshing to feel the water 
close over your head!” and the boys thought they 
could study better after the cool dip. If I re- 
member correctly, however, the mistakes made in 
the morning reading lesson were not seldom re- 
peated in the afternoon. 

Presently Mrs. Gray saw Ann, the elder of the 
two children, coming alone. On entering the 
50 


HOW DOROTHY LENT A HAND 51 


room which served for kitchen and dining-room 
she began, somewhat vaguely, to explain that 
Dorothy had gone to find something their teacher 
had lost on the beach, but would be hack soon. 
While speaking, Ann’s eyes were fastened on the 
odorous stew her mother knew so well how to con- 
coct, and which was evidently responsible for any 
present incoherence. 

Did you* ever attend a little country district 
school? If so, do you remember how sumptuous 
a repast the homely noon dinner always seemed? 
Probably some of you fare daily in a much more 
elaborate manner, yet I doubt if you get anything 
more palatable than the smoking stew, suggestive 
of fresh vegetables from Mrs. Gray’s back gar- 
den, those generous slices of brown bread so hot 
as to melt the creamy home-made butter in no 
time ; and for dessert cold pandowdy, such as they 
know how to make in remote Massachusetts vil- 
lages; at least they did some years ago in this 
one. 

Meanwhile Dorothy, in her haste to secure the 
teacher’s book, was scrambling through woods 
and fields in a vain attempt to reach the beach by 
a short cut. I wish I could make you see how 
pretty she looked, brown hair and short skirt alike 
flying — no, pretty isn’t exactly the word, either. 
My little Dorothy wasn’t strictly pretty. Her 


52 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


features were not very regular, and, moreover, 
were thickly covered with freckles. But a pleas- 
ant sight she was. Her eyes were a deep blue, 
and their expression beautifully tender and earn- 
est; and just now the wind, fresh from the sea, 
brought a bright wildrose hue to her cheeks. 
Everything seemed to cling to her blue calico 
skirt and try to hold her back; but at last she 
found the desired outlet by the aid of two thick 
rows of primroses, which reached up high, as if 
to show her, by the pale light of their yellow 
blossoms, the path which lay between. She could 
look beyond the low cliff to the shore, and not 
very far off lay the book near a rock; the tide 
was almost upon it now, and Dorothy was very 
glad she had come in time. 

It was nearly one o’clock when she reached the 
road again. It would never do to be late to 
school! But here was Ann, who said she was 
‘Hhankful enough that book had been found!” — 
she ^‘knew Miss Winslow set lots by it,” and she 
guessed Mother would save Dorothy’s dinner till 
four o’clock. 

Dorothy was a shy child. ‘^You give it to 
her,” she whispered, thrusting the little brown- 
covered ‘^Evangeline” into her sister’s hand as 
they entered the low-ceiled school-room, where 
the other pupils were already seated, and the 



She could look beyond the low cliff to the shore 
















HOW DOEOTHY LENT A HAND 53 


afternoon sun streaming so broadly that the boys^ 
dripping locks bade fair to dry rapidly. 

‘‘Here^s your book, Miss Winslow!” said Ann 
in her clear voice, and Miss Winslow flushed with 
pleasure and said, ‘‘Oh, thank you, you dear 
child!” She kissed Ann warmly and added, 
“Now take your seats quickly.” 

She never knew the trouble the other silent 
child had taken in her behalf. But Dorothy, in 
spite of being hungry, felt somehow very happy, 
and the afternoon session didn’t seem as long as 
usual, she had such a pleasant picture in her mind 
of the sea and the kindly primroses. 


WHEN SILENTLY FALLING THE SNOW 


“In flakes of a feathery white, 

’Tis falling so gently and slow! 

Oh, pleasant to me is the sight 
When silently falling the snow.” 

UCY was a dear little girl six years old. She 



1 J was born on St. Valentine’s Hay, and thought 
February the most jolly part of the whole year. 
You see, in that month we get so much snow. 
And what is better fun than coasting? 

On Lucy’s last birthday, while she was eating 
her breakfast, a loud rap-tap-tap came at the front 
door. “I guess it’s the postman!” said Lucy, 
running to peep out of the window. ^^No, it 
isn’t; it’s a man with such a big bundle!” 

Sure enough, it was the expressman. 

^‘Does any little girl named Lucy Hall live in 
this house?” asked the expressman. 

For he saw Lucy’s blue eyes in the doorway, 
peeping around the maid’s apron. 

‘‘Oh, yes, sir, 7’m Lucy!” cried she, jumping 
up and down. 

“Well, this is the biggest valentine I ever 


54 



There are George and Nellie 





SILENTLY FALLING THE SNOW 55 

saw!^’ said the expressman. ‘^Most too big, 
isnT it, for such a small girlT^ 

‘‘Oh, no, sir, it isnT!^^ cried Lucy, jumping up 
and down harder than ever. 

So the box was brought into the front hall. It 
was of wood and very big indeed; and in the 
middle of the cover was painted a smiling Cupid. 
Cupid’s arms were full of red roses. 

“It is a truly valentine,” said Lucy. And then 
she began to untie the string. 

Now what do you think was in the big box? It 
wasn’t a doll, nor anything for a doll. It wasn’t 
books. I will tell you at once. It was a sled. 

Lucy was so glad when she saw the scarlet sled 
that she forgot to finish her breakfast. 

“It has my name on the side!” she cried, spy- 
ing LUCY in large white letters. “Oh, Mamma! 
There are George and Nellie, coming over the hill 
with their sleds ! I want to show them mine. ’ ’ 

So Lucy hurried into her coat and hood, in 
which she looked like Little Eed Biding Hood, 
and she had a jolly morning coasting with George 
and Nellie. 

When they said good-by to one another, they 
promised to meet on the hill next day for some 
more fun. But by the following morning, the 
snow fell so thick and fast that Papa said it was 
a blizzard, and Mamma began to be afraid that 


56 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


the milkman would not be able to make his way 
to the house. 

Lucy had a lesson in reading from Papa, and a 
lesson in arithmetic from Mamma. Then she 
climbed up in the window-seat, where for awhile 
she watched the whirling flakes, and wished rather 
sadly that she could coast with the new sled. 

< < Why not use it, after all ? ’ ’ thought she. ‘ ‘ I fll 
bring it up in the nursery, and play store. It will 
make a beautiful red counter.’’ 

When a row of toys was placed upon the sled 
Mamma came into the nursery with a little basket 
in her hand. 

‘‘Your store looks so bright and cheerful this 
stormy day, I really had to run in,” said she. “I 
have some charming bits of pink velvet, and am 
looking for a small doll to dress.” 

“Here is a little doll without any clothes,” said 
Lucy, smiling and holding up a pretty china doll. 
“wS that dor’ 

“Yes, it is just what I want. I think a pink 
hood would look well on her brown curls. ’ ’ 

“Have you any furnace-cuffs?” then asked 
Mamma. “Why, no,” answered Lucy, “but if 
you will tell me what they are, perhaps I can get 
some.” 

“Well,” said Mamma, “furnace-cuffs are made 
of newspaper, or any wrapping-paper. They are 


SILENTLY FALLING THE SNOW 57 


shaped like this:’^ And she showed Lucy how 
quickly the cuffs could be cut out with scissors, 
and then how pinned on. ‘‘You see 
how well they will protect my nice 
sleeves when I am fixing the fire 
or doing anything of that sort/^ 

“I can make some!’’ said Lucy. 

“Very well, then. I will order ten pairs,” said 
Mamma. 

This was a good customer, don’t you think so? 

Papa, too, came in to buy, and he said he must 
at once have a great many bookmarks, as there 
was sad danger of his losing his place in the books 
he was reading. 



The book marks were of simple shape, cut by 
Lucy from colored papers. Such brisk trade 
made the hours fly quickly, and at bedtime Lucy 
said an indoors snowy day was quite as good fun 
as an outdoors one. 




HOW JACK AND 
JILL MADE THE 
COAST 

J ACK and Jill 
were twins, you 
know, and looked ex- 
actly alike, excepting 
that Jack had short, 
' curly hair and Jill 
had long, straight 
hair. They lived in 
the country, and 
were out-of-doors 
nearly all the time, and so their cheeks were very 
rosy, and their clothes apt to be too small. My, 
how they grew! 

The house where Jack and Jill lived was a long 
way from any other house, except the little one 
where Tommy Tittlemouse lived. So they sel- 
dom played with other children. But one win- 
ter day — it was just a week before Christmas — 


JACK AND JILL 


59 


Jill came running out to the barn. Jack was 
sitting in the bam, mending one of the runners 
of his sled. 

‘‘Oh, Jack!^’ cried Jill. 

“Don’t shake me!” said Jack. “I’m trying to 
nail this runner on.” 

“But guess who’s coming to visit usl” 

“Cinderella?” 

“No, she has to stay at home, and do all the 
work. ’ ’ 

“Bobby Shaftoe?” 

“No, he has gone to sea.” 

“Is it Mary, then?” 

“No, and I’m glad it’s not. She’s quite too 
contrary!” 

“Who is coming, Jill?” 

“Why, little Miss Muffett!” 

“Oh, bother!” said Jack, throwing down his 
hammer. won’t be any fun! A girl that’s 

afraid of even a spider 

“I’m sure she wouldn’t be afraid now,” said 
Jill. “When that big spider sat down beside her 
she was a little bit of a girl, almost a baby. So 
no wonder she ran away.” 

Just then the mother of Jack and Jill came out 
to the barn. She told them quite a lot about little 
Miss Muffet. She said Miss Muffett lived in a 
great big city, many miles away. 


60 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


‘^This will be the first time sbe bas stayed in 
tbe country. So you must try to make ber bave 
a very jolly time.’’ 

hope sbe can skate,” said Jill. 

‘H’ll take ber coasting on my sled,” said Jack, 
only it snows.” 

‘Ht feels like snow now,” said bis mother. 

And, sure enough! soon soft flakes, like downy 
white feathers, floated from tbe sky. At first 
they fell slowly, but before long they came so 
fast and thick, it was like a giant pillow-fight. 

Tbe next day little Miss Mutfet came from tbe 
city. It bad stopped snowing. When she bad 
eaten dinner with Jack and Jill, they all ran out- 
of-doors and tried to make a coast. And my, 
what a good time they bad digging that coast! 
They heaped tbe snow on both sides of tbe path, 
which was a very long one, and when it was done 
it was time to go into tbe bouse. 

Jack’s father saw that be looked sober. 

‘‘What’s tbe matter, my boy?” be asked. 

“It won’t be much of a coast,” said Jack, “tbe 
snow is too soft.” 

But at that moment the supper-bell rang, so 
nothing more was said about tbe coast. 

Father sat at one end of tbe supper-table, and 
Mother sat at tbe other end. Little Miss Muffet 
and Jack sat at one side, and Jill sat opposite 


JACK AND JILL 


61 


them. They had griddle-cakes for supper, with 
maple-syrup. And the griddle-cakes were steam- 
ing hot, and very good. But everybody was 
thirsty, and there was no water on the table. 

‘‘Oh, dear!^^ said the mother, “I forgot the 
water, and our well is dry. Jack and Jill, you’ll 
have to go up the hill and fetch a pailful.” 

So Jack and Jill went up the hill. They went 
to Mrs. Tittlemouse’s house. And Mrs. Tittle- 
mouse gladly filled their pail with water, for her 
well was not dry. 

Then the twins started home again. “Let’s 
walk down the coast,” said Jack. 

“All right,” said Jill. 

But just then they thought of the steaming hot 
griddle-cakes and the maple-syrup. Jack and Jill 
were as hungry as two little bears. So they ran 
as fast as they could. And just as they started 
Jack fell down, giving his head a great bump. Jill 
came tumbling after. The pail tipped over, and 
away ran the water all the way down the coast. 

Do you think Jack cried? Not a bit of it. Up 
he got, and home did trot, as fast as he could 
caper. Still, it was a huge bump. So when he 
went to bed his mother bound it up nicely with 
vinegar and brown paper. 

I forgot to say that Mrs. Tittlemouse sent 
Tommy down with another pail of water. 


62 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


To mm y went slowly and with great care, so he 
did not fall down. When he got to the house 
where Jack and Jill lived, supper was over and 
the family was thirstier than ever. So every one 
was glad to get a nice drink of cold water. 

Now little Miss Muffet^s place at table was 
opposite a window. From this window the 
snowy hill could be plainly seen. And at break- 
fast next morning, little Miss Muffet kept look- 
ing out of the window. For it was a lovely day, 
all blue and white, like all fine days in the winter- 
time. 

Pretty soon Miss Muffet gave a joyful start. 
Jill turned her head, and looked out of the win- 
dow. She clapped her hands. Then Jack 
looked out. He jumped out of his chair, and 
shouted ^‘Hurrah!’’ at the top of his voice. 

For who would not start, and clap, and shout 
hurrah? The coast lay like a silver ribbon in 
the sun. Where the pail of water had run over 
the snow was a clear path of shining ice. There 
would be fine coasting that day. And all because 

‘‘Jack and Jill went up the hill 
To fetch a pail of water. ’ ^ 



The coast lay like a silver ribbon in the sun 







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lA i 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL AND HER 
CHEERFUL LITTLE DOLL 


CHAPTER I 

CHOOSING THE DOLL 

D ear little girl, how mucli do yon love your 
doll? Do you love her so that when you put 
her to bed at night you carefully tuck in the 
blankets? Does she sit close beside you at 
breakfast, and share your bread and butter? 
And would you willingly give her some of your 
yellow egg, too, only Mamma shakes her head? 
Does she sit in your lap when you coast, with 
brother Robbie steering in front? And then, in 
the June days, when you and your doll are out in 
the fields, do you put her hand’ on the daisy 
petals, and teach her 

‘‘One I love, 

Two I love, 

Three I love I say’’? 

I knew a little girl who loved her doll quite 
as much as you love yours. This little girl’s 
name was Maria, and she lived in a pleasant vil- 
63 


64 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


lage. No one called her Maria. such a 

long name!’’ said her brother and sister, and 
they asked to call her by her middle name. And 
when they heard her middle name was to be 
Elizabeth they said that would do very nicely. 

Now Elizabeth had long been wanting a new 
doll. 

^^But there’s Edith Grace Ermyntrude,” said 
Mamma. 

^‘Yes, hut she looks so grown up, and her ears 
have melted off,” said Elizabeth. 

^‘And there’s Jamie Gordon,” said Aunt Ellen. 

^‘Yes, but boys aren’t so much fun. Besides, 
he has only a bathing-suit to change with,” said 
Elizabeth, still more sadly. 

‘^And there’s Susie Jane. You surely love 
her?'^ said Cousin Eleonora. 

‘‘Oh, yes, I love her!^^ And Elizabeth flew to 
catch her up from her willow cradle. “But 
Susie Jane needs a sister near her own age. 
She’s growing selfish.” 

So on Elizabeth’s seventh birthday Mamma 
told her to put on her second-best hat, the one 
trimmed with brown ribbon and butter-cups, and 
said they would walk to Miss Field’s shop to 
buy a new doll. Elizabeth jumped up and down 
five times with joy, and ran as quickly as she 
could to the closet under the stairs for her hat. 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 


65 


‘‘May Susie Jane come too, Mamma U’ she 
asked. Mamma was going to say no, because 
Susie Jane looked as shabby as shabby could be; 
but she glanced at Elizabeth and said yes. 
People meaning to say no often, to their own 
surprise, said yes, when they looked at Eliza- 
beth. 

Elizabeth and her mamma, Mrs. Dale, walked 
out of the front door, and down the path to the 
gate. The path was bordered with box; and 
when Mrs. Dale looked toward the fence on her 
side she saw hollyhocks growing; and when 
Elizabeth looked toward the fence on her side she 
saw sweet-peas growing. 

“Ours is a pretty garden. Mamma,” said 
Elizabeth, skipping five skips. 

“Yes, dear,” said Mamma, “don’t scutf up the 
gravel, love ! ’ ’ 

And they raised the latch of the low green 
gate, and walked out into the narrow lane, and 
down the lane where a wood-thrush was singing, 
and so to the street which led to the shop. 

I am glad we have got to this part of the story, 
because I know you would like to go into this 
shop. It wasn’t like any other toy shop. It was 
kept by a young lady who, even though she was 
grown up, was very fond of dolls. Her shop was 
arranged in three rooms, and as Elizabeth and 


66 


CHIMNEY COKNER TALES 


her Mamma came up the street, they saw a doll 
looking smiling out of the front window of each 
room. 

One room was devoted to dolls’ dress-making; 
and two girls sat in this room, constantly cutting, 
fitting, and sewing the dearest little petticoats, 
frocks, pinafores, bonnets and what not. How 
their fingers flew to be sure! 

In the second room a girl was making birth- 
day cakes, and fruit tarts, candies and mottoes, 
to be used at children’s tea-parties. When 
Elizabeth came to the shop with Aunt Ellen she 
was whisked through this room, because Aunt 
Ellen abominated sweets for children. When 
she came with Mamma she was allowed her 
choice between gumdrops and peppermints. But 
when she came with Grandpapa it was a red let- 
ter day. know your candies are all pure,” 
Grandpapa would say, smiling upon the girl be- 
hind the counter, and after choosing three de- 
licious kinds, he would look at Elizabeth and buy 
still another red-striped bagful. 

The third and last room was most important 
of all, for here sat rows upon rows of dressed 
dolls, — rubber dolls, wooden dolls, china dolls, 
wax dolls, and other kinds, of all sizes, ready for 
sale. Miss Field herself, who was as pretty as 
a pink and old enough to wear her hair on top 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 67 

of her head, stayed in this room and waited on 
the customers. 

Now Mamma supposed it would take, at the 
very least, half an hour, and perhaps longer, for 
Elizabeth to choose a doll; but five minutes had 
not gone by when she said decidedly, ^^This one. 
Mamma dear, please!’’ 

And no sooner had Mamma looked at the doll 
when she knew why it was chosen. The reason 
was that its cheeks were so pink. Perhaps you 
think they were as pink as apple-blossoms? 
Pinker than that. As pink as the inside of a 
shell? Pinker! As pink as Baby’s corals? 
Fully as pink, and I really think a trifle pinker. 
I am unable to tell you the exact shade, hut it 
certainly was charming; and as she gazed at the 
doll, Elizabeth’s own cheeks grew very rosy in- 
deed. 

Mamma thought about buying the doll. And 
while she thought, her face was studied by her 
little daughter, — anxiously to he sure, hut still 
with strong hope ; for who could resist those 
lovely cheeks? The doll had soft brown hair 
(curly), bright blue eyes, a cheerful mouth, and 
she could cry, — but only when wanted. 

Mamma thought. 

won’t climb trees with her, — not ever,” said 
Elizabeth. 


68 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


Mamma thought. 

‘Ht is indestructible,’’ said Miss Field softly. 
And then Mamma said; 

‘‘Yes, we will take it. And now I would like 
to look at those little parasols.” 

Guess whether she bought one, and I will tell 
you the answer in the next chapter. 




CHAPTER II 

NAMING THE DOLL 

S HE did ! The parasol had blue-and-white 
stripes, with the tiniest forgetmenots 
sprinkled over the white stripes. It opened and 
shut easily. Elizabeth carried the doll home. 
It was carefully wrapped in soft tissue-paper, 
but Elizabeth kept uncovering the head to ad- 
mire and kiss the cheerful face. You mustn’t 
think Susie Jane was forgotten. She was car- 
ried, with equal love and care, under the other 
arm. 

When they reached home and turned in at the 
green gate, there was Uncle Nathaniel; and he 
looked very much frightened, and jumped behind 
the nearest apple-tree. 

^^What is the matter, Nathaniel?” asked Mam- 
ma. 

‘^Scarlet fever!” cried Uncle Nathaniel, point- 
ing at the new doll’s cheeks. (The paper cover- 
ing had slipped aside.) Elizabeth chased him in- 
to the house, and up into the nursery, where he 
found, in the cupboard, a two-inch red flag, and 
hung it out of the window. ‘Ht’s safer for the 
neighbors,” said he. 


69 


70 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


Don’t you find it interesting to choose names? 
I do. It is half the fun when there is a new baby 
in the family, even if in the end Father’s and 
Mother’s choice is widely different from yours, 
as when Sophie wanted Charlotte to be named 
Rosamond Honoria Elaine. And with one’s own 
doll, and a free and wide choice, no wonder 
Elizabeth looked beamingly happy, as she sat in 
her little rocking-chair, with the new doll in her 
lap. 

^‘Haven’t you thought of a name yetf^^ asked 
her brother Jack after a few minutes. could 
name the thing right off! Call it Ann, — that’s 
as short as any.” 

‘‘Oh, Jack,” said Elizabeth, “you don’t know 
in the least about naming a child! Shortness 
isn’t all. It must be a pretty name, and it must 
be after somebody, — somebody I love ever so; 
and it must be a name the children around here 
haven’t got for their dolls.” 

“Don’t name her Dorothy then. There are 
six on this street,” said ten-year-old Sophie. 
“I’ll tell you what! Let’s all write the name we 
like best, and put them in this box ; and then you 
shut your eyes and take out two.” 

“Well,” said Elizabeth. 

So she called in Grandpapa and Grandmamma, 
and Mamma, and Uncle Nathaniel, and Aunt 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 


71 


Ellen, and Cousin Eleonora, and big brother 
Bob. To each was handed a slip of paper, and 
Sophie passed around pencils. Everyone wrote, 
and these were the names they chose. Grand- 
papa wrote Daisy, because he thought that the 
name a little girl of seven would prefer. Grand- 
mamma wrote Elizabeth, thinking her little 
granddaughter would like to give the doll her 
own name. Mamma wrote Grandmamma’s name, 
Lucy. Uncle Nathaniel wrote Crimsonia, just 
for fun. Aunt Ellen wrote Maria (‘‘the child 
ought not to scorn her own name,” said she). 
Cousin Eleonora wrote Alice, because she thought 
it the most beautiful of names. Big brother 
Bob wrote Jemima, the name of their last-but- 
one cook, famous for her waffles and pop-overs. 
Sophie wrote Elsie, Charlotte wrote Beatrice, 
and Jack (with a defiant air) wrote Ann. Down 
in Yarmouthport lived Aunt Alice, who was a 
perfect love, and the name Elizabeth herself 
wrote was Alice, because of this aunt. 

And now a strange thing happened. When 
the papers had all been put in the box and shaken 
up by Jack as hard as he could shake, Elizabeth 
shut her eyes tight, and drew out two of the slips. 
She then opened her eyes, and read the name, 
and “Oh, what do you think!” she cried, 
“They’re both Alice! And Alice is the very 


72 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


name I wanted!’^ And then all the family 
clapped their hands, and big brother Bob and 
Cousin Eleonora especially clapped so hard that 
Teddy Hallowell ran over from next door to see 
‘^what those Dales were up to nowJ^ 

Everyone, even Jack, agreed that the doll’s 
name certainly ought to be Alice. And that very 
afternoon Uncle Nathaniel went himself to the 
Doll Shop, and bought a little book called ‘‘The 
Doll’s Treasure: a Book of Harmless Recipes,” 
and wrote on the fly-leaf “Alice Crimsonia, from 
her great-uncle Nathaniel.” But, in spite of her 
pink cheeks, the doll’s middle name wasn’t Crim- 
sonia, — in fact she didn’t have any middle name, 
as none could possibly be found pretty enough 
to go with Alice. 

The real naming was next day at three o ’clock, 
in the clover-field back of the house, with only 
the family invited, though the calf Clover seemed 
to like looking on with the rest. Aunt Ellen 
didn’t come. She said she must go to a meet- 
ing of the Tuesday Club. But Grandpapa gave 
up his afternoon nap to come, and complimented 
Elizabeth on the becomingness of Susie Jane’s new 
buff frock, and on Alice’s complexion, surpris- 
ingly healthy for one who had lived for some 
months in a shop. 

They sat in a big spreading circle on the soft 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 


73 


green grass under a butternut tree. All the little 
girls wore girdles made of daisy chains and Jack 
a daisy in his button-hole. Edith Grace Ermyn- 
trude, Jamie Gordon, and Susie Jane (you re- 
member these were Elizabeth’s other dolls) were 
made to look as if holding one another’s hands, 
and the children sang for them a favorite song, 
‘‘Brothers and sisters, hand in hand.” Perhaps 
you too have sung it, with your brothers and 
sisters, Sunday evenings at home. 

Next, Mamma made a little speech, and this 
is what she said: “My darling children, I am 
glad we have such a bright sunny day, and I 
only wish your Aunt Alice could be with us. I 
am sure it will please her when she hears that 
her name was chosen for your doll. Everyone 
loves Aunt Alice, because she is true, and is care- 
ful about making people happy. When you are 
playing with this doll, try yourselves to be like 
this dear auntie, and teach the doll to have kind 
ways. She can let other little girls’ dolls share 
her hammock, her books, and her toys of every 
kind. We will try and they will try to treat 
all these things carefully. But if any of the 
playthings are injured, Alice must be patient, 
mustn’t she, dear? I hope you will dress her 
simply; a doll should never wear jewelry 
on the street. Don’t give her rich food, for I am 


74 CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 

sure you wish her to keep those rosy cheeks.’^ 

Then Mamma who, while she made this speech, 
had been standing, sat down, and Grandpapa 
stood up. ‘‘Your Mamma is, as usual, perfectly 
right,’’ said he, “but the sugar used at the Doll 
Shop is so extremely pure that we may, on great 
occasions like the present, indulge in a little 
candy. ’ ’ 

With these words he put his hand in his pocket, 
raised it high in the air, and let fall a perfect 
avalanche of sugar-plums, — pink, brown, yellow, 
green, red and white; and the circle was for 
a few moments broken up, as the children 
scrambled hither and thither to pick them up. 
Grandpapa’s speech, though short, was thought 
to be very good. 

It was followed by another song. Then Eliza- 
beth brought her doll forward, and said “I name 
my child — ” “Ann!” said Jack, loudly. “No, 
Alice! I name my child Alice, because Aunt 
Alice is kind, and because I want my child to 
grow up just like her.” 

“She won’t, then!” said Jack, “She won’t 
grow up at all.” “Come here, old chap!” called 
Uncle Nathaniel to Jack. Then Cousin Eleonora 
spoke. She said “Here in the brook is a stone 
that has lain many years. At first, all gray and 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 


75 


bare, it was not, perhaps, very pretty. But do 
you see how the soft feathery green mosses have 
spread over it, how these bright little pebbles 
have come to cling to it, and how, in some of the 
cracks, a few tiny blossoms are springing forth? 
Grandmamma’s name, Lucy, is plain, but how 
many memories, bright and tender, cling to it, 
and make it for us a dear name! You know a 
wonderful poet named Shakespeare wrote many 
plays. In one of his plays called ^Othello’ some- 
body says 

‘He that filches from me my good name 
Robs me of that which not enriches him, 

And makes me poor indeed.’ 

Fathers and mothers wish so much for their 
children’s names to grow valuable! If Charlotte 
is generous and honest, then how we learn to love 
the sound of her name! If Jack is helpful and 
earnest, then the name Jack has a pleasant sound. 
I hope all the dolls in the neighborhood will be 
glad when they hear that your doll Alice has 
come to see them.” 

Cousin Eleonora then sat down, drawing her 
pink muslin skirts about her. The breeze by now 
had freshened. Far away a hermit-thrush sang. 

Last of all, two poems were read. Sophie read 
the first one, and this is it: — 


76 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


MATILDA ANN. 

By Alice W. Rollins. 

I know a charming little girl 
Who’d say, ‘‘Oh, see that flower!’^ 
Whenever in the garden 
Or woods she spent an hour. 

And sometimes she would listen, 

And say, “Oh, hear that bird!’" 

Whenever in the forest 

Its dear sweet note she heard. 

But then I knew another — 

Much wiser, don ’t you think ? 

Who never called the bird a “bird,’^ 

But said “the bobolink,” 

Or “oriole,” or “robin” 

Or “wren,” as it might be; 

She called them all by their first names, 
So intimate was she. 

And in the woods or garden 
She never picked “a flower” 

But “anemones,” “hepaticas,” 

Or “crocus” by the hour. 

Both little girls loved birds and flowers. 
But one love was the best; 

I need not point the moral ; 

I^m sure you see the rest. 

For would it not be very queer 
If when, perhaps, you came, 

Your parents had not thought worth while 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 


77 


To give you any name? 

I think you would be quite upset, 

And feel your brain awhirl, 

If you were not “Matilda Ann,” 

But just “a little girl.” 

Every one heartily clapped these verses. 

Father read the closing poem. It was sup- 
posed to be for the grown-ups, but Grandpapa 
had fallen almost and Grandmamma wholly-asleep. 
Mamma was trying to decide whether to have 
cream-toast and fish-balls for breakfast next 
morning, or if the fish-balls wouldn’t be a little 
rich for the children, in which case she would 
have an omelette. Uncle Nathaniel was thinking 
of a June day like this, ’way back in 18 — , when 
— but I haven’t time to tell you of his thoughts, 
which were half sad and half pleasant. Cousin 
Eleonora was thinking, wonder if Tom will 
call this evening. If I was sure he would, I’d 
put on my fresh white.” And big brother Bob 
was trying, without her finding out who was 
doing it, to tickle Charlotte with a long spear of 
grass. Father glanced up from his book now 
and again, and saw the grave faces of the grown- 
ups and the smiling ones of the children, and 
then went on placidly with his reading. He little 
suspected who, after all, were his real listeners. 
The children^ although they couldn’t understand 


78 


CHIMNEY CORNEK TALES 


all, liked parts of the poem very much. This is 
one verse of it: — 

‘‘Spring is strong and virtuous, 

Broad- sowing, cheerful, plenteous, 

Quickening underneath the mould 
Grains beyond the price of gold. 

So deep and large her bounties are 
That one broad long midsummer day 
Shall to the planet overpay 
The ravage of a year of war.’’ 

Then the family jumped up from under the 
butternut-tree. They said goodbye to the bab- 
bling brook, and to the calf Clover, and walked 
home. For the party was over, and Elizabeth’s 
doll had for always the beautiful name Alice. 

“Don’t you think my speech was best?” asked 
Grandpapa. 

Guess if the children said yes, and I will tell 
you the answer in the next chapter. 


CHAPTER III 


DKESSING THE DOLL 


HEY did! Well, now would you like to 



X hear about dressing the doll? Up in the 
attic stood an enormous old chest. Pieces of 
cloth were stowed away in it. And one day, soon 
after the dolPs naming, Mamma went up to the 
attic with Elizabeth, and together they chose a 
number of pretty scraps, of which to make clothes 
for Alice. 

‘^Be sure to make button-holes,’’ said Aunt 
Ellen. ‘‘Pins are a shiftless substitute.” 

“And I’ll help you,” said Cousin Eleonora. 
“I’ll make the underclothes and the things that 
aren’t so much fun to sew on.” 

“A ruinous plan!” sighed Aunt Ellen. 

“Make a veil,” said Uncle Nathaniel, “You 
don’t want her cheeks to get sun-burned!” 

“I’ll knit her some stockings,” said Grand- 
mamma, — ‘Hhree pairs; and you may choose the 
colors.” 

“Blue, pink, and brown,” said Elizabeth. 

She ran happily for her work-basket, and 


79 


80 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


Sophie and Charlotte got theirs, too; and they 
all sat down to sew with Consin Eleonora, while 
Grandmamma reached for her knitting-needles. 

Now of course Alice’s clothes, even the most 
necessary ones, and even with Cousin Eleonora 
to help, were not made in one day. No indeed. 
That would be too much to expect, when little 
girls have so many things to do, such as weeding 
the garden, practicing on the piano, stringing 
beans, and playing hop-scotch. But by taking 
rainy Saturdays, and spare time other days, and 
the time after supper when Father read ‘^Hia- 
watha” or “Uncle Remus” aloud, the little girls 
after a time had Alice very nicely fitted out. 

Elizabeth had for this doll a little bureau with 
three drawers. In the top drawer she kept 
Alice’s handkerchiefs (six, and all neatly hemmed 
and marked with A, made by Elizabeth herself), 
her hair-ribbons, sashes, locket, beads, and other 
little ornaments. In the middle drawer she kept 
Alice’s hoods, hats, knit jackets, and her morn- 
ing, afternoon and Sunday pinafores. The 
morning pinafores were of brown-and-white and 
blue-and-white checked gingham, and were high- 
necked and long-sleeved. They were to wear 
while working. The afternoon pinafores were 
also high-necked and long-sleeved, but were made 
of white barred muslin. The Sunday pinafores 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 


81 


were dotted white muslin, low-necked and short- 
sleeved, and were daintily edged with narrow 
lace. They also had pockets, edged with lace. 

Cousin Eleonora had filled the lowest drawer 
with such neat piles of snowy underwear ! 
Grandmamma said it really was a joy to look in 
that lowest drawer. The stockings she knit were 
in it too. Oh, and I want to tell you that she 
finally decided to knit six pairs, — three pairs of 
stockings and three pairs of short socks. These 
socks, worn with ankle-tie slippers, were much 
admired by Elizabeth’s friends. The party 
slippers were pink, the Sunday ones bronze, and 
the everyday ones black. 

Alice’s best hat was one she had worn home 
from the Doll Shop. It was truly exquisite, made 
of the finest white muslin, with a wreath of 
eleven pink rose-buds. It fastened under the 
chin with pink satin ribbon, three-eighths of an 
inch wide. Her everyday hat was of white 
pique, the wide brim cut in little scallops all 
around. 

Among the scraps taken from the chest in the 
attic was a piece of green-and-blue plaid, and 
Cousin Eleonora found that, by piecing under the 
hood, there was just enough of it to make a 
waterproof. It was the Gordon plaid, which you 
know has a yellow thread in it, and Cousin 


82 CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 

Eleonora lined tlie liood with yellow silk to 
match. 

As to Alice’s frocks, she had a white lawn, a 
‘‘Dolly Varden” mnslin, a pink cashmere, and a 
blue pique. These were all for best wear. Then 
she had useful gingham frocks, some striped and 
some checked, made by a simple pattern, with 
just a plain hem, and drawn in at the waist by 
a narrow brown leather belt. I wish you could 
have seen her in one of these everyday frocks, 
(they had bloomers to match), climbing a cur- 
rant-bush to get at an especially large juicy red 
currant she spied at the top. Elizabeth was all 
ready to catch her if she fell. And wasn’t it 
lucky she was in-de-struc-ti-ble ? 

Alice looked very cunning, too, in her new 
bathing-suit. This was made of white flannel, 
trimmed with light green braid. 

As Sophie and Elizabeth and Charlotte sewed 
on these tiny garments, and watched Cousin 
Eleonora taking such dainty stitches and doing 
all with such nice care, they from day to day 
showed real improvement in their work. 

“I am quite proud of you!” said Cousin Eleo- 
nora. “Some day you will be able to make a 
shirt for big brother Bob.” 

“And for Uncle Nathaniel,” said Elizabeth. 

They sometimes sewed out in the meadow, the 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 83 

same meadow where Alice was christened. Here 
a bobolink sang to them, — 

Bobolink! bobolink! 

’Tis Alice I think 

Who wears these gay clothes you make. 

And see! here’s my babe awake, 

In brown, white and black arrayed. 

See, see, the fine nest we’ve made! 

Bobolink! bobolink! 

To the blue sky let’s drink! 

And the brook flashed in the sun, and babbled 
its low crooning song, to which the daisies nodded 
drowsily. Sometimes a bright blue darning- 
needle thrilled the children by alighting near 
them. Butterflies, — brown, yellow, or white, — 
tilted on the swaying grasses. Clover, the calf, 
was lowing, but not unhappily now. She was 
content ; and the children were very happy. 
Their little silver thimbles were as busy as the 
bees at work there, deep in the clover-heads, 
and much more modest; they were quite noise- 
less. 

Jack thought it rather stupid under the butter- 
nut tree. He liked better to fly his kite, and to 
dash with it from end to end of the field, Geist, 
the puppy, at his heels. The dolls sat in a row, 
facing their young mothers. How quickly sup- 
per-time came! Would Mamma remember that 


84 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


they wanted their bread-and-milk on the piazza 
instead of indoors? Guess whether she remem- 
bered or not, and I will tell you the answer in the 
next chapter. 


CHAPTER lY 


HOW THE DOLL. WORKED 

S HE didn’t! Ah, I caught you that time! 

But wait a moment! It made as it hap- 
pened, not one bit of difference that she forgot, 
because Uncle Nathaniel did remember, and just 
as the blue-and-white bowls were being put on 
the dining-room table, reminded Mamma of the 
children’s wish. 

The next Monday, as Elizabeth and Charlotte 
were starting, directly after breakfast, to play in 
the nursery. Mamma said, 

‘^My dears, I don’t like to see you playing so 
early in the day. Have you made your beds?” 

So they ran to make their beds, for they were 
good little girls, and anxious to please their 
Mamma. But the new doll with her pink cheeks 
was waiting for them, and they looked a little 
sober when, on returning to the nursery, they 
were met by Aunt Ellen, who said ‘‘Come! this 
is no time to be playing with dolls. It is high 
time you were put to steady uninterrupted work 

every day. This morning I shall teach you ” 

85 


86 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


“Aunt Ellen/’ said Cousin Eleonora, meekly, 
“Isn’t this the hour for your Monday Club?” 

Aunt Ellen gave one wild look, and then she 
ran from the nursery down the two flights of 
stairs, and straight out of the front door. Never 
before had she been late at the Monday Club. 

Cousin Eleonora came and sat down between 
the two little girls, and put an arm around each. 
“Aunt Ellen is right about wanting you to be 
useful,” said she (their faces grew long), “and 
I’ve thought of such a nice plan!” (their faces 
grew short). “Hannah has a bigger wash than 
usual this week, and I mean to do some of the 
napkins for her. We’ll all go out under the 
cherry-tree together, and while washing napkins 
I will teach you how to wash, rinse and starch 
your dolls’ frocks and pinafores in the best 
way.” 

Elizabeth and Charlotte were charmed. They 
ran for their pink gingham sunbonnets, for it 
was a warm day. And they ran for baskets in 
which to collect the soiled clothes. These were 
breathlessly placed under the cherry-tree. And 
then they ran to Hannah, and begged for two 
little tubs to wash in. 

“Sure, I’ve no tubs, at ahl, at ahl. An’ will 
pails do?” asked Hannah. 

Yes, pails would do. Hannah good-naturedly 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 


87 


looked about till she found them a stray piece of 
clothes-line, and Jack fastened it very nicely for 
them between the cherry tree and the fence. 

‘‘Suppose you bring Alice down,’’ said Cousin 
Eleonora, “and let her help.” 

That was a good thought ! So Alice was 
hrouglit, (she slid down the bannisters), and her 
blue gingham sleeves rolled up to her elbows. 
She sat in the lowest crotch of the cherry-tree, 
and held some of the clothes pins in her lap. 

“Such dear little helpers as you are,” said 
Cousin Eleonora, herself scrubbing heartily away 
at some napkins, “will, I know, he careful not to 
waste the soap. Use only a third of that cake, 
Elizabeth. Charlotte, darling, I’m sure you 
have a generous make-up, you made your starch 
so thick. But it doesn’t need to be thick like 
that. It should be about like the cream-of- 
chicken soup Hannah cooks for you.” 

“I know!” said Charlotte happily. “How 
Hannah must look forward to Mondays!” she 
thought. The sky was as blue as possible, with 
the fleeciest little white clouds floating upon it. 
Right over their heads a song-sparrow was sing- 
ing its little heart out. 

Cousin Eleonora made the work like a sort of 
play. 

“Alice’s frocks, when they go in, making the 


88 


CHIMNEY COKNER TALES 


water all brown, make me think of Autumn 
leaves,’’ said she. 

^‘And then they grow blue in the face because 
Winter comes!” said Elizabeth, shaking more 
drops from the blueing bottle. 

^‘And then Spring coines, and covers them with 
lovely cherry blossoms,” said Charlotte, heaping 
her suds with brown dimpled hands. 

^^Now it is Summer, and they may go sailing 
in a sea of sunshine,” said Cousin Eleonora. 

Alice, dearie, will you please hand me a couple 
of those clothes-pins?” 

‘‘At play?” asked Grandpapa, passing through 
to the vegetable garden. 

“No indeed j Grandpapa,” answered Elizabeth, 
“We’re working very hard.” 

“We’re learning to wash,” said Charlotte. 

“Bless your bright eyes!” said Grandpapa, 
“Don’t work too hard.” And he passed on to 
see how his tomatoes were coming along. 

Leaving the clothes to flutter and dry in the 
breeze, Cousin Eleonora brought from the kitchen 
a pan of peas, and suggested that Elizabeth teach 
Alice how to shell them. 

“She will enjoy helping you just as you enjoy 
helping me,” said Cousin Eleonora. 

So Elizabeth sat on the top step of the side 
porch, and she held Alice in her lap, and showed 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 


89 


her how to run her thumb along the edge of the 
light green pod. Pop! Why, this was as good 
as torpedoes on the Fourth of July ! Out 
tumbled the peas, with a merry clatter, into the 
shining pan. Three peas bounced out onto the 
path. 

^^Be careful, dearie,’’ said Elizabeth, ‘‘Your 
Mamma isn’t as young as she was once.” And 
she hopped down, nimbly in spite of her seven 
years, and picked up the peas. Alice took great 
pains with the next pod. 

“Playing I” asked Uncle Nathaniel, coming up 
the steps with the morning mail. 

“No, Uncle Nathaniel, I’m working hard,” said 
Elizabeth. 

“Don’t work too hard,” said Uncle Nathaniel, 
stooping to kiss the loveable mouth. 

“Sure, ’tis the rale litthle hilp yez are!” said 
Hannah, when Elizabeth brought her the peas, 
all ready to be boiled for dinner. 

After that, until the dinner bell rang, Alice 
took a sound nap in her own little red-and-white 
hammock, while Cousin Eleonora and Sophie and 
Elizabeth and Jack had a game of croquet. But 
as the days and weeks passed on, the doll was 
taught many kinds of work. When Baby’s 
cradle was made up, she smoothed the pillow and 
tucked in the down coverlet. When Elizabeth 


90 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


tidied the nursery, Alice, too, held a wee duster, 
and dusted her own little bureau and rocking- 
chair. When the table was being set, she helped 
put around the bibs and napkins. And once — I 
think it made her feel an inch taller — she filled 
the salt-cellars ! Oh, a doll, if she is obliging and 
well-bred, can do many useful things. Guess if 
Mamma was pleased when she saw her little girl 
and her little girPs doll helping so cheerfully, 
and I will tell you the answer in the next chapter. 


CHAPTER V 


THE DOLL GOES A-MAYING 

S HE was! She said the doll was a blessing 
in the house. Think of that! 

One bright May morning Elizabeth awoke 
earlier than usual. She almost always slept 
soundly till seven o’clock, but on this morning 
she awoke at seventeen minutes past six. 

First she leaned over and reached to Alice’s 
crib which stood close to her own little cot bed. 

‘‘Would you like to come into Mamma’s bed, 
darling?” said she. And not waiting for a re- 
ply, because she could see by Alice’s cheerful 
smile how happy the suggestion made her, she 
lifted the doll up beside her. Susie Jane was 
there too. She always slept with Elizabeth. 
Each doll received a good-morning kiss. Then 
Elizabeth propped Alice on her knee, and taught 
her to play 

‘ ‘ Bean porridge hot, 

Bean porridge cold! 

Bean porridge in the pot, 

Nine days old.” 

91 


92 CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 

And Elizabeth made her voice loud enough for 
two. 

^‘What a racket you are making!’’ said Aunt 
Ellen, popping her head, in a stitf night-cap, in 
at the door, ‘‘Have you no consideration for your 
elders?” 

Alice’s head dropped back on the pillow, and 
Elizabeth thought the robin’s song, just outside 
her window, not so cheery after all. But just 
then who should come softly tiptoeing into the 
room but Cousin Eleonora. 

“Oh, Cousin Eleonora, you look so sweet 
whispered Elizabeth. 

Cousin Eleonora’s thick black hair fell in 
two braids over her shoulders. Her primrose- 
colored kimona was strewn with white Cornell 
blossoms, and on her softly treading feet were 
primrose bed-slippers tied with white ribbon. 
She stepped lightly over to her little cousin’s cot, 
and lay down beside her. 

“Do you want to hear a secret, and would 
Alice and Susie Jane like to hear one too?” she 
whispered. 

Elizabeth’s answer was a regular bear’s hug. 

“Well, then! But keep as quiet as mice, all 
three of you, while I tell you. By and by, when 
you’ve had breakfast, we’re all going a-May- 
ing!” Elizabeth bounced up and down on the 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 


93 


bed, and pressed her lips tightly together to keep 
from shouting. 

‘^Mr. Tom Gray has invited the whole family, 
and Teddy HallowelFs family too; and we’re 
going in a barge.” 

^Hs Aunt Ellen going?” asked Elizabeth. 

^‘No. We’d like to have her, but she has to 
go to a special meeting of the Wednesday Club,” 
said Cousin Eleonora, ‘‘She has to read a poem.” 

“I thought Aunt Ellen didn’t care about 
poetry,” whispered Elizabeth. “She said I was 
silly to like 

“ ‘Sleep, baby, sleep. 

The big stars are the sheep ; 

The little stars are the lambs, I guess. 

And the loving moon is the shepherdess. 

Sleep, baby, sleep ! ’ 

She said it was ‘next door to lies.’ ” 

“We’re going to Hadley’s Meadows,” went 
on Cousin Eleonora, “though why it’s called 
‘Meadows,’ I don’t know, for it’s all woods, except 
where parts have been burned over. Uncle 
Nathaniel says he’ll drive, and Sophie and I are 
to put up the lunch.” 

“May I help, dear Cousin Eleonora?” asked 
Elizabeth. 

“Oh, how kind of you! I’d be very glad of your 
help,” said Cousin Eleonora. And then she 


94 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


looked at her watch, and said they neednT whis- 
per any more, for it was time for everybody to 
get up. 

Elizabeth, now that she was seven years old, 
could dress herself entirely, except some of the 
back buttons. Sophie buttoned those for her, 
and Elizabeth in turn helped little Charlotte who 
was five. 

After breakfast Hannah brought into the din- 
ing-room several loaves of bread, some pats of 
butter, and a large roast chicken. Cousin 
Eleonora did the slicing, Sophie buttered the 
bread, and Elizabeth laid the half slices neatly 
together with chicken in between. When the 
sandwiches were all made, and packed with the 
sponge cookies. Cousin Eleonora, who was hunt- 
ing high and low for the lemon-squeezer, 
said, 

‘^Oh, here’s the most fascinating little tin box! 
What can we put in it?” 

^^Let me have it, please, for Alice’s lunch,” 
said Elizabeth eagerly. So the box was given to 
her; and first Elizabeth cut a nice piece of white 
paper to go inside. She then put in the box two 
tiny sandwiches, (one of chicken, and one of let- 
tuce), two oyster crackers, a radish the size of a 
strawberry, an olive, a raisin, a freshly-baked 
ginger-snap, and a little bottle of milk. Uncle 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 95 

Nathaniel said he should know where to come if 
he hadn’t enough to eat. 

Promptly, as the old hall clock struck nine, Mr. 
Tom Gray drove up to the front gate with the 
barge. He jumped down to help the ladies 
into the barge, while Uncle Nathaniel climbed 
up to the driver’s seat and took the reins. Big 
brother Bob got up beside him. All the rest were 
seated inside. 

Along one side sat Jack (who liked to be near 
the horses). Mamma, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Alice, 
Cousin Eleonora and Mr. Tom Gray. And fac- 
ing them, in another long row, were Papa, Teddy 
Hallowell, Sophie, and four other Hallowells. 
So you see there were sixteen people in the 
barge. 

Elizabeth held Alice up to^ see everything they 
passed. At a cottage door, at the first turn of 
the road, a little yellow-haired girl of about 
Elizabeth’s own age spied the doll in the barge 
and held up her own rag doll, and waved the 
doll’s hand. Quick as a flash Alice took out a 
little handkerchief from her jacket pocket, and 
waved it to the doll in return. 

When they came to a brook, which tried again 
and again to elude them, running with mischie- 
vous laughter under the road, the barge was 
stopped that the horses might drink. The 


96 


CHIMNEY COENER TALES 


horses’ names were Arithmetic and Geography, 
hut they were called Mettie and Jog for short. 
Alice was thirsty too, so Elizabeth jumped out 
of the barge with her, and filled an acorn-cup 
with the cool clear water, and held it to the doll’s 
lips. 

Alice wore a pink dimity frock, and a cunning 
little sun-bonnet to match. Over the frock she 
wore a white knitted jacket with pink buttons. 
Her rubbers (she brought rubbers in case the 
woods should prove wet), were firmly tied to her 
little tin lunch-box, and the box was at the bot- 
tom of Elizabeth’s own pocket. 

After about two hours of driving merrily along 
pleasant country roads, they came to Hadley’s 
Meadows, which, you remember, weren’t mead- 
ows now, whatever they might have been once. 

Everyone got out of the barge, and Mettie 
and Jog were hitched to a tree, patted, and given 
each a lump of sugar and an apple. Nearly 
everyone ran, while a few walked, into the woods, 
and Elizabeth and Alice so longed to see and 
smell the waxy fragrant mayflowers that they 
ran fastest of all. The flowers were so cun- 
ningly hidden away that many a grown-up might 
easily pass them by. But not so Alice! Down 
she went on her knees, peeping here and there 
under the trees, and lifting the damp thickly- 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 


97 


matted leaves. How soft the mosses were on 
which she knelt! Her blue eyes were so bright 
that she soon spied the dainty blossoms. Trail- 
ing arbutus is one of their names, and epigaea is 
another. Aunt Ellen always said “epigaea 
repens,’’ but we will call them mayflowers as did 
Elizabeth and Alice. 

How could the mayflowers be afraid of Alice! 
She was very small, and clothed in their own 
color. She didn’t pull roughly at their roots. 
She knew the blossoms would not be seen again 
next year if she did that. So, as their courage 
grew, the mayflowers seemed, of their own ac- 
cord, to peer out at her from their secret places, 
and didn’t at all mind being drawn gently from 
the moist ground, and put into the green nest of 
her basket. This basket, when heaped full, was 
emptied into Elizabeth’s larger one. Guess how 
many times Alice filled her basket before the 
sun sank low and everyone had to leave the spicy- 
smelling woods. Guess, little girl, and I will tell 
you the answer in the next chapter. 


CHAPTER VI 


THE DOLL AT THE SEA-SHORE 

A lice filled her basket seventeen times. 
Will you believe it ! 

That summer Mrs. Dale went away for a long 
visit. She stayed four days. Oh, it was a weary 
while! On the day before she came back every- 
one flew about, putting the house in apple-pie 
order. Sophie, who as a rule disliked dusting 
more than any other of her duties, ashed to dust 
Mamma’s room and the parlor. Here are some 
rhymes about it, written by one of the grown- 
ups. 

WHEN SOPHIE DUSTS THE ROOM. 

When Sophie dusts the room, my dears, 

Then look, and look in vain. 

For books and papers, ink or pen. 

Or aught you want again. 

Dear long-familiar spider-webs 
No more black nooks illume; 

Nor man nor beast count in her scheme 
When Sophie dusts the room. 

98 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 


99 


When Sophie dusts the room, my dears, 
Oh, how the chairs walk round! 

And all the morn what whacks and thuds 
Throughout the house resound! 

The iceman looks a trifle awed; 

My breast is fllled with gloom; 

(He thinks, I’m sure, I’m keeping school 
When Sophie dusts the room). 

When Sophie dusts the room, my loves. 
The cat no longer frisks, 

But tiptoes with unnatural mien. 
Avoiding any risks. 

]My cherished pictures — where are they? 
My fern notes, — found by whom? 

All order’s lost; confusion reigns 
When Sophie dusts the room. 

When Sophie dusts the room, my loves. 
Why bear we all so meek? 

Because, though comfort’s gone to-day. 
Reward’s not far to seek. 

There cometh one for whose sweet sake 
Let march forth every broom! 

A recompense we trustful wait 
When Sophie dusts the room. 

When Sophie dusts the room, my dears, 
Oh, never yield to grief! 

Be sure the morrow’s rose opes fair, 
Though sere to-day the leaf. 

Outdoors a coming joy I feel; 

The tardy wood-flowers bloom; 


100 


CHIMNEY COENER TALES 


All Nature hastes a welcome, while 
Small Sophie dusts the room. 

When Sophie dusts the room, my dears, 

The brown thrush sings in glee; 

All houses round may whirl, e’en fall. 

But, oh, what careth he? 

And what care I, when ’neath his tree, 

I think of her who soon 

Will make her whole home bright; ’tis sure 

When Sophie dusts the room! 

Well, dear Mamma came home from Lexing- 
ton, and to celebrate her glad arrival all the 
family went to pass a day at the seashore. This 
time breakfast had to be very early indeed, in 
order to catch the morning boat in Boston. I 
said all the family went, but, just at the last min- 
ute, as they were filing out through the low green 
gate. Aunt Ellen turned back, saying she remem- 
bered a semi-yearly Conference of the Thursday 
Club. 

^‘See what you’re missing already,” called 
back Uncle Nathaniel, as he took up the basket 
Aunt Ellen had started out with, and adjusted 
his valise which held the family bathing-suits. 

Now you are eager to know what Alice wore 
to-day. The weather was unusually warm, even 
for the middle of July, and she wore a thin white 
muslin frock, her white pique hat, and carried 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 101 


the blue-and-white parasol. On her feet were 
short bine socks and ankle-tie slippers. The 
white frock was her Sunday one, to be sure, but 
then, one didn’t go to the seashore every day. 
In a snug little parcel tied to the tin box was 
the doll’s bathing-suit. 

The trip began with a ride in the train to Bos- 
ton, the first time in all their lives Baby and 
Alice had ever been in the cars. I am sorry to 
say that, for awhile, neither of them behaved 
very well. Baby made up a horrible face, thrust 
aside his milk-bottle, and cried loudly. And 
Alice tried to push Jack (her own uncle!) away 
from his place by the window. Jack had got 
there first, and I think if Alice had not been 
cross, and had not said awayV’ and had not 
thumped him so hard (with Elizabeth’s hand 
over her own). Jack would soon have given her 
the place she wanted. As it was, he grew red 
in the face and thumped back. 

‘‘Ellen, Ellen, thou hast the wisdom of the 
serpent!” said Uncle Nathaniel. 

“Suppose you hold Baby a few moments. 
Bob,” said Mamma. “He often quiets down for 
you. ’ ’ 

Big brother Bob threw down “Virginibus 
Puerisque,” and took his little brother; and, sure 
enough, when Baby Hugh felt himself in those 


102 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


steady strong arms, he looked undecided whether 
to cry any more or not, and then laid his head 
comfortably against Bob’s hard shoulder. Big 
brother Bob looked proud, and even prouder 
when, some minutes later. Baby’s brown eyes 
shut fast. 

While this was happening. Cousin Eleonora 
was, in her turn, a peace-maker. She asked Jack 
if she herself might have his place next the win- 
dow awhile, and she took the doll in her lap. 
She said Elizabeth and Jack should take turns, 
and while one sat beside her the other should sit 
with Mamma. 

‘‘Alice is going to count all the dogs we pass 
on this side of the train,” said Cousin Eleonora, 
“and you. Jack, count all you see from your 
side.” 

Within fifteen minutes Alice had seen six and 
Jack eight dogs. 

When Jack’s face was no longer scarlet, 
Cousin Eleonora told the two children how 
grieved she felt when they quarreled. “A jour- 
ney on a hot day can be uncomfortable if we 
think only of how hot it is, and of what we want ; 
or it can be a pleasant journey if we get inter- 
ested about helping somebody else. Good brother 
Bob has stopped Baby’s crying, so now your 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 103 


Mamma can read her magazine. Let’s each think 
of something kind that Alice can do.” 

‘‘She can give me her seat!” said Jack, 
promptly. 

“She can take your shawl, and fix it for a pil- 
low under your head, dear Cousin Eleonora,” said 
Elizabeth, helping Alice to so arrange the shawl. 

Jack looked ashamed. He felt that his wish 
had been a selfish one, but he did not know how 
to say so. Cousin Elonora knew what he was 
thinking. She softly patted his hand, while she 
thanked Elizabeth. 

“Jack may sit by the window now,” she said. 

“Charlotte can,” said Jack. And he ran to 
where Charlotte was sitting with Grandmama, a 
few seats ahead of them, and said “Charlotte, 
you look like a lobster! Cousin Eleonora wants 
you.” He slipped into the seat beside Grand- 
mama, and Charlotte, looking rather indignant, 
trotted obediently down the aisle. 

At one end of the car was a water-cooler. 
Cousin Eleonora said Charlotte might take her 
rubber cup and hold Alice so that the doll could 
turn the faucet, and get a drink for Grandmama. 
And Elizabeth got one for Grandpapa. By and 
by Baby waked and cried again, until Alice 
jumped up and down on the cushioned arm of the 


104 


CHIMNEY COKNER TALES 


seat. He stared at her till she blushed rosy red, 
and although it wasn’t the weather one chooses 
for gymnastics, she amused him most kindly un- 
til the train drew into Boston. 

In the city they drove to the wharf. Then, oh 
how happy the children were as they sniffed the 
salt air, and found themselves on the steamboat! 
It was painted white, and along the side, in large 
navy blue letters was the name, Robert Louis 
Stevenson^ 

Papa told them what a brave man Stevenson 
was, and how once, when in great suffering with 
sciatica, and obliged to lie in a darkened room, 
he made all the poems in the book Elizabeth had 
at home, and which the children so loved, ‘‘A 
Child’s Garden of Verses.” Do you, too, know 
that dear book? Can you say the verses, — 

‘‘My bed is like a little boat; 

Nurse helps me in when I embark; 

She girds me in my sailor’s coat, 

And starts me in the dark. 

At night, I go on board and say 
Good-night to all my friends on shore ; 

I shut my eyes and sail away. 

And see and hear no more. 

And sometimes things to bed I take. 

As prudent sailors have to do; 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 105 


Perhaps a slice of wedding cake, 

Perhaps a toy or two. 

All night across the dark we steer; 

But when the day returns at last, 

Safe in my room, beside the pier, 

I find my vessel fast.’^ 

And do you know these verses? 

“Three of us afloat in the meadow by the swing, 

Three of us aboard in the basket on the lea. 

Winds are in the air, they are blowing in the spring, 
And waves are on the meadow like the waves there are 
at sea. 

Where shall we adventure, to-day that we’re afloat, 
Wary of the weather and steering by a star? 

Shall it be to Africa, a-steering of the boat, 

To Providence, or Babylon, or off to Malabar? 

Hi! but here’s a squadron a-rowing on the sea — 
Cattle on the meadow a-charging with a roar! 

Quick, and we’ll escape them, they’re as mad as they 
can be. 

The wicket is the harbor and the garden is the shore.” 

“That part in the beginning of the book, writ- 
ten to bis nurse,’’ said Sophie, “always makes 
me think of Aunt Alice.” And she repeated 
some of the lines. 

“For the long nights you lay awake 
And watched for my unworthy sake: 


106 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


For your most comfortable hand 
That led me through the uneven land : 
For all the story-books you read : 

For all the pains you comforted: 

For all you pitied, all you bore, 

In sad and happy days of yore: — 


From the sick child, now well and old, 

Take, nurse, the little book you hold!’’ 

‘Ht sounds like Cousin Eleonora, too,’^ said 
Elizabeth. 

can tell a poetry!” said Charlotte; and she 
took hold of Papa’s hand, and repeated the lines 
Mamma had taught her when she had the 
measles. 


‘‘When I was down beside the sea, 

A wooden spade they gave to me 
To dig the sandy shore. 

My holes were empty like a cup. 

In every hole the sea came up, 

Till it could come no more.” 

“What would Ellen say to all this poetry?” 
said Uncle Nathaniel, bringing a camp-stool into 
the stern of the boat, where Papa was standing 
with Sophie and Elizabeth and Jack and Char- 
lotte. 

They sailed, and they sailed. Alice stood on 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 107 


the railing, and saw many other boats, some with 
flags. Behind the Robert Louis Stevenson 
streamed a broad white ribbon of foam; and 
there, in the steamer ^s wake, the waves were 
bigger, and a fisherman’s dory bobbed up and 
down upon them in such a jolly way that Jack 
quite burned to be in it. 

Baby liked the fresh salt breeze in his face, 
and smiled to see Mamma’s bonnet-ribbons flut- 
ter so prettily. He stretched out his little arms 
toward the sea-gulls that made wonderful sweep- 
ing curves in their flight and dipped in the blue 
sea. 

It was a long sail, so long that luncheon was 
unpacked and eaten before they left the boat. 

They had egg-sandwiches, lamb-sandwiches, 
great black cherries in plenty, and plum buns. 
Besides her own ’special sandwiches, Alice found 
in her lunch-box two cherries and a little bottle 
of lemonade which Elizabeth had thoughtfully 
provided. 

Salt air makes one very hungry, and all were 
thankful Aunt Ellen’s basket had not been left 
behind, although it was found to contain chiefly 
Boston crackers. In one corner was a small 
lemon, in case of seasickness. But nobody needed 
the lemon. 

^^This is too bad!” said Uncle Nathaniel, ^^I 


108 CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 

think somebody might feel just a little little sea- 
sick. ’ ’ 

‘‘Alice does,’’ said Elizabeth. “Oh, do let me 
see if her cheeks are pale!” said Uncle Nathaniel. 

“No, she has to go in the cabin and lie down,” 
said Elizabeth. And she ran inside, and placed 
the doll on a soft cushion. When she came out 
she found Jack and Charlotte fishing for brown 
and green seaweed, with bent hair-pins fastened 
to long lines of strong twine. Jack fixed a line 
for Elizabeth, and the three children fished till 
the Robert Louis Stevenson touched the landing. 

On reaching the shore, the family walked along 
the beach till they came to a quiet part, where 
the sand was very fine and white. Here the 
children and the little curling waves ran to meet 
each other. Papa began to sing. 

“The sea, at last the sea! 

The mighty ocean, whose soft folds of blue 
Are edged above with white. 

As were’t a heavenly garment! 


Show them a face ever fair of heavenly blue> 
Thy voice to them the gentlest of murmurs. 
And wear for them thy rosiest smile. 

With children thou shouldst play. 

Caress them with thy touch, 

0 thou cradle of blue, 0 sea!’* 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 109 


Papa found a nice shady place for Grand- 
mamma and Mamma and Baby Hugh in the shel- 
ter of a great gray rock. Sophie, Elizabeth, 
Jack and Charlotte at once pulled off their shoes 
and stockings, and waded to their knees in the re- 
freshing water. Elizabeth thought she would 
teach Alice to swim. A fruit-basket turned upon 
its side made a good bath-house, and she took 
off the dolPs clothes and placed them in the 
basket. Then the little white bathing-suit, 
trimmed with light green braid, was brought 
forth, and popped over Alice’s head. 

‘‘Won’t her hair get wet?” asked Sophie. 

“Oh, dearV^ said Elizabeth. “See if this will 
fit her,” said Cousin Eleonora. She had fore- 
seen that Alice would be aching for a salt bath, 
and so she had brought, and now handed to 
Elizabeth, a tiny bathing-cap made of oiled silk. 
It exactly fitted the doll’s head; and all Alice’s 
pretty brown hair was snugly tucked inside, and 
not one curl allowed to escape from under the 
elastic. 

“Thank you, darling Cousin Eleonora. You 
always think of everything!” said Elizabeth. 

Alice was now all ready to go into the water. 
But what was the matter? She put both hands 
to her eyes, about to cry, and shrank back from 
the first wavelet that rippled over her feet. 


110 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


afraid! Take me out!^* screamed the 

doll. 

Then Elizabeth took Alice, splashed though 
she was, in her arms, and said, 

‘‘Why, you shouldn’t be frightened, dearie! 
See Bobby Shaftoe floating on his back out there. 
He doesn’t cry.” 

“Course he floats! He’s rubber/^ said Jack. 

“Don’t say that to her. Jack,” pleaded Eliza- 
beth. And Jack, thinking how queer girls were, 
plumped in yet deeper after his toy schooner. 

“If Susie Jane sees that you are afraid, it will ■ 
make her so too,” went on the little mamma. 

“Put this shell to your ear. Isn’t that a won- 
derful sound? More shells like that are under 
the water. It is whispering to us to come in 
and see its baby shells, and the pretty pebbles. I 
see them all shining underneath the waves ! 
Wouldn’t you like to be a little mermaiden? 
Wouldn’t you like to make friends with the Sea?” 

So Alice stopped crying, and stepped bravely 
into the water, and soon found courage to duck 
her head under, as Susie Jane was doing. She 
splashed Susie Jane, and Susie Jane splashed 
back ! And Bobby Shaftoe gave both dolls a ride 
on his hack. Bobby Shaftoe was Charlotte’s doll. 

“I love swimming!” cried Alice at last. 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 111 

thought you would, my dear,’’ said Eliza- 
beth. 

Later everybody, except Grandmamma, Mamma 
and Baby, went in bathing. Papa and Uncle 
Nathaniel were very jolly, and made the children 
have a glorious time. Guess how many of them 
fell sound asleep in the train going home, and I 
will tell you the answer in the next chapter 


CHAPTEK VII 


THE DOLL LEARNS TRUE POLITENESS 

E very blessed one of them! Even Papa 
wakened only just in time to say ‘‘Preserve 
us! Ours is the next station ^ 

As soon as the Dales got home they ate some 
hot brewis which Hannah had ready for them, 
and then the children were glad to go to bed. 

The next day was still hotter, and Cousin Eleo- 
nora, who always felt the heat very much, lay 
upon her bed with a headache. The sun streamed 
broadly through her south window, but she felt 
so ill that she put otf the moment of rising to ad- 
just the shade. “In just a minute I will get up 
and fix it,” she said to herself, and closed her 
eyes. “If only that water pitcher were nearer!” 
she thought. 

She lay thus for awhile with her eyes shut ; and 
then Elizabeth came into the room with her doll 
in her arms. She stopped just inside the door, 
with her finger on her lips, looking toward Cousin 
Eleonora; and then, what do you think she did? 
First she stepped so softly that it was like a 
112 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 113 


kitten stepping over to the south window, and 
pulled the green shade slowly down until the sun 
was hidden, and cool shadows played over the 
floor. 

You remember that at the naming Elizabeth 
said that she wanted her doll to grow up to be 
like Aunt Alice down in Yarmouthport, who was 
always careful about being kind! So now she 
considered what Alice could do. Presently she 
wound a soft handkerchief around and around 
the doll’s hand and arm, and tied it firmly. Next 
she turned some cold water into the basin, and 
brought the basin with great care onto a chair 
beside the bed. 

Cousin Eleonora didn’t open her eyes. She 
thought don’t know what the child is doing, 
but I won’t send her out if she likes to be here. 
She was such a darling to shut out that blazing 
sunshine. Oh, how my head does ache!” 

Just then she felt something deliciously cool 
and soft and wet drawn lightly across her fore- 
head. You know what it was. Again it came, 
and again. Never had anything felt so good to 
Cousin Eleonora! She said not a word, and 
Elizabeth said not a word. Alice, too, was so 
well-bred that she knew it was not a time to 
speak. 

But by and by Cousin Eleonora opened her 


114 


CHIMNEY COENER TALES 


eyes, smiled brightly at Elizabeth, and s^id 
really believe iCs going away!’’ And she sat np, 
and kissed Elizabeth and then Alice. 

So now the doll had learned another way to 
help. 

Thank you very much,” said Cousin Eleo- 
nora, can go now with that letter Aunt Ellen 
wants taken to the Dunstans’.” ‘‘Let me take 
it,” said Elizabeth. 

“Do you really want to? The sun is fierce to- 
day.” 

“I’ll take my parasol, Jand Alice can take 
hers,” said Elizabeth. 

“Well, you are a real comfort. You can stop 
at Fanny Howland’s to play; but go first to the 
Dunstans’, because Aunt Ellen says the letter is 
important. It is on the bureau, — ^yes, there, be- 
side the pincushion.” 

So Elizabeth took the letter from the bureau, 
and she and the doll left the room. Alice slid 
down the bannisters, — slowly, it was such a hot 
day — and Elizabeth, as she walked down the 
stairs, read the address on the envelope: To the 
Secretary of the Saturday Club. 

“I guess it’s something about the girls at Miss 
Gussie’s school, Alice,” said Elizabeth, and the 
doll smiled her agreement. 

Leaving this important letter at Miss Duns- 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 115 


tan’s house, Elizabeth stopped on her way home 
to see Fanny Howland, a little girl of about her 
own age, who had lately come to live in South 
Sherburne. The Howland house was a very 
grand one of gray stone. Fanny herself was on 
the piazza and saw Elizabeth coming. 

‘‘Hullo!” said she. 

“Hullo!” said Elizabeth. “I came to play 
with — ” 

“I can’t play,” interrupted Fanny, “I’m learn- 
ing Manners. I’ve got a new governess. She’s 
gone into the library to get a book.’ 

“Can I come in and rest a minute?” asked 
Elizabeth, pausing on the lowest step, and fan- 
ning her face with her hat. 

“You’d better come in this afternoon,” said 
Fanny. “I’m learning Manners.” And she 
went inside, letting the screen-door shut with a 
loud bang. But when Elizabeth, hot and dusty, 
had got nearly to the end of the avenue, she 
heard Fanny calling after her. 

“Come back!” shouted Fanny, “Mamma says 
it’s so hot I can let the Manners go.” 

Elizabeth and Alice went back, and Fanny led 
them into her tent on the lawn. Here a white- 
capped maid presently brought them some iced 
lemonade. One glass happened to be a little 
fuller than the other, and Fanny noticed this. 


116 


CHIMNEY COHNER TALES 


‘‘You don’t mind if I have the biggest one, do 
you?” asked she. “I’m so hot and tired learn- 
ing those old Manners.” 

“Oh, no,” said Elizabeth, “I’d rather. I 
never learned them,” she added. 

“You’ll be sorry you didn’t when you’re grown 
up,” said Fanny, “It’s about Politeness. Do 
you know which fork to take first at dinner?” 

“I only have one” said Elizabeth. “We’ve 
spoons with our pudding.” 

“Why, at the best houses they always have 
three. Do you speak at table?” 

“Mamma lets me.” 

“You mustn’t! Not ever, unless somebody asks 
you a question.” 

“But they usually donH,^* said Elizabeth. 

“That doesn’t matter. Who sits next you?” 

“Sophie on one side, and Cousin Eleonora on 
the other.” 

“It ought to be first a girl and then a boy, 
and that way, all around,” said Fanny, shaking 
her head. 

“Let’s not learn Manners till a cooler day,” 
said the little guest. “Let’s play dolls. Have 
you seen my new one?” 

“No. I don’t believe she cost as much as mine 
did. Mine was five dollars!” And she showed 
her doll, Lillian Annabelle, a resplendent young 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 117 


lady in crimson velvet trimmed with spangles and 
broad lace. 

“I don’t know what mine cost,” said Elizabeth, 
who never could remember numbers, ^ ^ but I think 
she is beautiful.” 

‘‘Well, I don’t care about dolls anyway,” said 
Fanny. ‘ ‘ Stupid things ! Let ’s play croquet. ’ ’ 

Elizabeth put Alice down in a little chair, look- 
ing back at her rather wistfully, as she followed 
Fanny out to the croquet-ground, where they 
played several games. 

She then went home, where she found Cousin 
Eleonora on the lawn. Cousin Eleonora looked 
delightfully cool in a lavendar gown with tiny 
white violets sprinkled over it ; and she was knit- 
ting a white silk tie for big brother Bob. 

“Has your headache all gone?” asked Eliza- 
beth. 

“Yes, darling, thanks to a little girl I know. 
What’s the matter?” putting her knitting down 
on the grass, and drawing Elizabeth into her 
lap; for her little cousin looked unusually so- 
ber. ^ 

“Cousin Eleonora, I’m afraid I’ll never know 
enough about manners to bring up Alice in the 
best way.” 

“We all have to try every day to be better. 
But it seems to me that Alice is growing to be 


118 


CHIMNEY COENER TALES 


a very well-bred doll. How thoughtful she was 
to bathe my forehead!’^ 

Elizabeth looked at Alice more happily. 

‘‘Who taught Aunt Alice to be polite?’^ she 
asked. 

“Why, I think she was taught a great deal by 
her own kind heart,” answered Cousin Eleonora, 
“Her mother died when she was a little baby. 
I really believe Aunt Alice could not be happy 
a moment if she felt someone near her was un 
comfortable. She puts her own wishes last.” 

“Fanny doesn’t put her own wishes last.” 

“Then she is not truly polite. But she can 
learn to be.” 

“Yes, she is taking lessons,” said Elizabeth, 
looking sober again. “I like better to play with 
Teddy Hallowell.” 

“Teddy is rough, but he is quick to feel what 
people wish. I have been reading something a 
noted American said. Can you understand a few 
words of it? ‘That is what we try for, hope for, 
and pray for ; that we may think more, love more, 
and be more: that we may have life more abun- 
dantly, as He said. Nothing — ^nothing helps in this 
seeking as the sight of it, — the brook which is alive 
again, the saxifrage which is alive, the pussy 
willow, the crocus, the snow-drop, the violet, the 
blue-bird, the butterfly.’ ” 


A CHEEKFUL LITTLE GIEL 119 


like the sound of it,’’ said Elizabeth, curling 
Alice’s hair around her forefinger. 

‘^Remember just one line of it,” said Cousin 
Eleonora, ‘‘Or no, remember just two words, to 
‘love more,’ that is, to love in an unselfish way. 
And now, honey, it’s cooler at last, so let’s take 
our pails and go out in the pasture and pick some 
huckleberries. If we get enough. I’ll make a 
roly-poly pudding for our dinner, and you shall 
make a little one exactly like it for Alice and 
Susie Jane.” Guess what it was that made 
Cousin Eleonora’s own manners so good, and I 
will tell you the answer in the next chapter. 


CHAPTER VIII 


THE DOLL BEGINS SCHOOL 

1 THINK it was Love, donT you? 

Well, the summer passed by, and Septem- 
ber came; and Elizabeth’s school opened. She 
began then to think of Alice’s further education. 

^‘I will start a little school in the playhouse,” 
said she, ‘^and when we come home from our 
school I can show her about doing sums and 
things.” 

Uncle Nathaniel had, on Jack’s last birthday, 
given him a tool-box, and in a short time Jack 
had learned to use the tools very handily, and 
was now interested to help fit up the doll’s school- 
room. The play-house itself big brother Bob 
had fashioned out of a packing-box. It had three 
rooms, — a parlor, a kitchen, and a bedroom. 
Elizabeth herself could stand upright in all these 
rooms. She decided to cut off part of the parlor 
with a screen she found in the attic, and to use 
the smaller part of it for a bedroom. The former 
bedroom she made into a schoolroom. 

Jack contrived a simple desk for the teacher, 
and three benches for her doll-pupils. He also 
120 


A CHEEKFUL LITTLE GIKL 121 


tacked up some pictures on the walls, and 
fastened little wooden pegs for Alice’s and Susie 
Jane’s and the other dolls’ hats and jackets. 
Sophie contributed some pencils which, from 
being long ones, had dwindled to a size suitable 
for dolls to use. Cousin Eleonora sewed some 
small sheets of paper together for books, and in 
these books Elizabeth copied words from her 
Speller and First Reader. 

The packing-box — excuse me, I mean the 
school-house as it was called — was out near the 
barn. In some ways this was a draw-back. For 
instance, Alice’s attention often wandered from 
the multiplication-table when Bessy (Clover’s 
mother) put her horned head in at the window. 
The chickens were even bolder than Bessy. 
They thought nothing of walking into the school- 
room and hopping up onto the young teacher’s 
desk. 

But on the other hand it certainly was delight- 
ful to hear the different sounds — of horses, cow, 
dog and poultry from the barn-yard. And then 
often, when school was over, Elizabeth and Alice 
got a fine ride on Morning’s back from the barn 
to the house. Morning was a gentle white horse. 
Jack liked best to ride Night, the black horse, 
who was a fast trotter. 

Jack lost his interest in the dolls’ school from 


122 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


the moment he had driven the last nail and the 
school-house was fitted up; nor could he be in- 
duced to visit it on Friday afternoons when the 
dolls regularly spoke pieces. Alice was taught 
every one of the pieces Elizabeth learned at her 
school. One of her favorites was ‘‘Seven Times 
One’’ by Jean Ingelow. Ask Mamma to read it to 
you. Geist, the puppy, had a special invitation 
to come in and hear Alice speak that poem, and 
when the children clapped, after the last verse, 
he barked his very loudest, as if to say “Well 
done, Alice!” 

Clover, the calf was the Assistant. She car- 
ried a bell tied about her neck, and when school 
was to begin she rang this bell, or if she forgot 
to do so at the proper time, Elizabeth or Char- 
lotte rang it for her. 

One afternoon Mamma, with Baby Hugh in her 
arms, came to visit the dolls’ school. Elizabeth 
saw them coming, and was delighted. She sprang 
to the door to welcome her visitors. 

“Good afternoon. Miss Dale,” said Mamma, 
shaking hands with the teacher. “My son wished 
to inquire into your methods, so we are come for 
a little call.” 

The son yawned, and said “Ah goo!” “I’m 
glad to see you,” said Elizabeth. “Won’t you 
walk in?” 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 123 


But then she looked a little embarrassed. 

‘‘My school-room happens to be a little low 
to-day’^ she said regretfully, “but V\l put a chair 
in the doorway, and I’ll let Ba — I mean Mr. 
Dale — hold Bobby Shaftoe.” 

“That will be much nicer than sitting indoors,” 
said Mamma. “I am sure my son agrees with 
me that all school rooms should be built so. I 
have brought a little gift for your pupils.” 

So saying, Mamma handed Elizabeth a little 
package which, on being immediately opened, was 
found to contain seven slates. They were three 
inches long and two inches wide, and their 
wooden frames were neatly bound with red 
flannel to prevent noise. A little hole was bored 
in one corner, and from a red ribbon fastened 
through this hole in each slate hung a tiny slate- 
pencil. 

“Thank you ever and ever so much, Mrs. 
Dale!” said the teacher, her face beaming with 
pleasure. “I guess Uncle Nathaniel made them. 
Did he?” 

“Yes, he made them from an old slate of 
Eleonora’s,” said Mamma. 

“I saw it up in the attic, and wished it wasn’t 
too big for my school,” said Elizabeth, “and 
Cousin Eleonora said the fairies would have to 
see what they could do about it. Children,” 


124 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


turning to her row of rather drooping pupils, 
‘ ‘ Sit up straight, and see what this kind lady has 
brought you. Why, here ’s Uncle Nathaniel ! You 
canT get in! You’re much too tall. Sit by Mrs. 
Dale, Mr. Gordon, (that was Uncle Nathaniel’s 
last name) and I’ll put your hat and cane in the 
corner.” 

Don’t let my cane alarm your pupils,” said 
Mr. Gordon, handing it to her with his cocked 
hat, only use it when saw is spelled w-a-s. I 
never could bear that.” 

Mr. Gordon wore a dark blue coat of the olden 
time, with brass buttons, a buff vest of faded 
satin, knee breeches, white stockings, and buckled 
shoes. 

‘‘Where on earth — ” began Mamma. 

“Hush, Madam,” said Uncle Nathaniel, “We 
interrupt the young ladies’ song.” 

The seven pupils sang together so well, that 
you might have supposed you heard but one 
voice. They sang 

“Where has my little basket gone? 

Said Charlie-boy one day. 

I think some little boy or girl 

Has taken it away.” 

“Nathaniel Gordon, are you ever going to grow 
up?” asked Aunt Ellen severely, as she passed 
by with some eggs from the barn. 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 125 


^^Never!’’ replied Uncle Nathaniel, cheerfully. 

‘‘We will now have perfect quiet for five min- 
utes,’’ announced the teacher very decidedly. 

Just then young Mr. Dale gave a piercing 
shriek, making everyone jump. A bee had stung 
him on his plump shoulder. So Mamma trying 
her best to soothe, carried him to the house. 

“Come again!” shouted Elizabeth. 

“Yes, thank you,” called Mamma. 

“Delighted, I assure you,” said Uncle Nathan- 
iel for Baby. 

“Which class would you like best to hear, Mr. 
Gordon?” asked the teacher, when they had set- 
tled back in their places. 

“The class in Analytical Geometry, if you 
please,” said he. 

“We aren’t studying that, this term. To-day 
it’s Spelling or Arithmetic.” 

“We’ll have a go at Arithmetic,” said Uncle 
Nathaniel. “How many is one and one and one 
and one and one and one?” 

“Edith Grace Ermyntrude, you tell,” said 
Elizabeth. But Edith Grace Ermyntrude 
wouldn’t or couldn’t tell. Uncle Nathaniel 
reached for his cane. 

“Oh, Uncle Nat — Oh, Mr. Gordon, you said it 
too fast for her,” said Elizabeth. So Mr. Gor- 
don, obligingly laying down his cane, said it once 


126 


CHIMNEY COENER TALES 


more very slowly and distinctly. Even then, 
alas! Edith Grace Ermyntrude wouldn’t speak 
up. 

^‘Why, I’m ashamed of you!” said her teacher. 
^‘Not know that? and you half-past five, and 
going on six! Bobby Shaftoe, you may say.” 
Bobby Shaftoe violently shook his rubber head. 
Elizabeth threw a glance of despair at the visitor, 
who said compassionately, 

‘ ‘ Sad ! sad ! very sad ! ’ ’ 

^'I think Mr. Dale bit him, and that makes him 
feel a little bit — ” 

(‘^Bitten, you mean.”) 

‘‘A little bit stupid,” said Elizabeth. Bobby, 
you may lie down awhile on the bench. Susie 
Jane, tell the gentleman how many is one and one 
and one and one and one.” 

‘‘And one,” added Mr. Gordon, leaning for- 
ward eagerly, and gazing encouragingly into 
Susie Jane’s blank face. 

“Think, dear!” said Elizabeth, patting Susie 
Jane’s bald head. 

“Six!” came the triumphant answer. 

“Feri/ good. Go to the head!” said Elizabeth. 

“Something’s gone to her head,” said Uncle 
Nathaniel. “Mark my words, that child studies 
too hard. Every hair gone! You never heard 
me giving right answers at her age. And in 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 127 


Arithmetic, too! Take her out of school for a 
year, at least. lUll do wonders for her.^^ 

The young teacher opened her charming mouth, 
and rather heartlessly broke into laughter. 

‘‘Jamie Gordon,’’ said she, “Tell the table of 
two.” 

Jamie Gordon rose stiffly, and said in haughty 
tones, 

“Once 2 is 2 
2 X 2 are 4 
3X2 are 6” 

and so on, up to 12 times 2. Wonderful!^ ^ said 

the visitor. 

“Please, Mr. Gordon, I’d rather you didn’t 
praise them. Jamie Gordon’s a little proud al- 
ready.” 

“Of his bathing-suit? Tell him it’s giving out 
at the arms,” said Uncle Nathaniel. 

“He’s acted proud ever since Grandmama made 
him the Scotch cap,” said Elizabeth. “Alice, 
say the sevens.^’ 

Alice, looking a perfect dear in her blue checked 
gingham and afternoon pinafore, arose cheerfully, 
and began promisingly, 

“Once 7 is 7” 


(“Sure it is!” from Mr. Gordon.) 


128 


CHIMNEY COENER TALES 


^‘2X7 are 14 
3 X 7 are 21 
4X7 are — are — 28 

5 X 7 — (a long stop) are 35. 

6 X 7—6 X 7—” 

Elizabeth took from her belt a toy watch, and 
gave a start of surprise. ‘‘Why! it’s past re- 
cess-time! Where is that calf? She’s never on 
hand to ring her bell.” 

^H’ll whistle, instead,” said Uncle Nathaniel, 
blowing through his fingers. Out filed the pupils 
for recess. They played ‘‘button, button,” and 
Mr. Gordon sat on the grass and played with 
them, and shooed otf the chickens that came to 
interrupt. They played “ ’Round the green car- 
pet here we stand”; and when they came to the 
line “Take your true love by the hand,” Uncle 
Nathaniel took Susie Jane’s rag hand in his, be- 
cause she was so bald, and looked so hopelessly 
shabby that he feared she might not otherwise 
be chosen by anyone. They played “Puss in the 
corner,” in which Jamie Gordon distinguished 
himself (but was not praised), and they played 
Alice’s favorite, “London bridge.” 

Then school went on again, and Uncle Na- 
thaniel, as he sat outside the door looking in, no- 
ticed many little acts of Alice that particularly 
pleased him. For one thing, she recited in a low 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 129 


sweet voice. Then she was kind to the very little 
dolls, and helped them learn their lessons, and 
when in Spelling she went above Edith Grace 
Ermyntrnde, she was modest about it. She kept 
her books in an orderly pile, and her slate washed 
clean. All these things showed Uncle Nathaniel 
that Elizabeth kept the right kind of a school. 
He wrote Aunt Alice, down in Yarmouthport, 
about it, and the letter made her very happy. 

Guess how many 6x7 is, and I will look it up 
and tell you the answer in the next chapter. 


CHAPTER IX 


THE dolls’ LETTEKS 

1 FIND it is forty-two. 

^‘Have you ever written to Grandmother 
Gordon to thank her for the quilt she made for 
your doll?” asked Aunt Ellen of Elizabeth one 
Sunday. 

Now Elizabeth had just settled herself, in the 
position she always chose for reading, lying flat 
on the rug, with her heels in the air, and her chin 
in her plump brown hands. On the floor in front 
of her was a hook she was reading for the fourth 
time, — the Seven Little Sisters.” It was hard 
to be interrupted. 

‘‘No. Please don’t make me now,” she said, 
crossly. 

“Maria Elizabeth, you shouldn’t speak to me 
in that tone!” said Aunt Ellen, in a loud, very 
cross voice. “Ingratitude is the basest of faults. 
Leave your book at once! do you hear?” 
Elizabeth got up, but looked decidedly sulky. 
“Why can’t I read now, and write after this 
chapter?” she asked. 


130 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 131 


Don’t ask why. I never asked why when I 
was a little girl.” And Aunt Ellen went into the 
study to read the Life of Miss Patricia Saintly. 

Elizabeth looked irresolute. With dragging 
step she fetched her little mahogany desk. A big 
tear splashed down upon it, and another. 

Cousin Eleonora came in. She was dressed in 
fresh Sunday white, and wore a red rose in her 
belt. She stepped over to the piano, played a 
few bars, and then began to sing, — 

‘‘Give me a rose, a rare red rose, 

To wear upon my breast”; 

But then she heard a stifled sob, and, looking 
around, saw Elizabeth. 

“What’s the matter with my precious?” she 
said, running to her. 

“I must write to Grandmother, and Aunt Ellen 
is cross, and 1 am cross,” said Elizabeth, un- 
steadily. 

“Aunt Ellen has so much to do, dear, with all 
her Clubs, that I think she gets tired,” said 
Cousin Eleonora. “At any rate we won’t be 
cross. How would it be if Alice should write the 
letter? Would you like that better? And would 
you like a sheet of my very best light blue note- 
paper? It has E. D. in silver letters at the top, 
and those are your initials as well as mine.” 


132 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


Elizabeth rubbed her cheek softly against 
Cousin Eleanora’s. 

sorry I was cross/’ she said. 

‘‘Tell Aunt Ellen so, while I get the paper,” an- 
swered Cousin Eleonora. 

So Elizabeth went into the study, and told 
Aunt Ellen, who said “Very well. Remember 
another time. Go out now; I’m reading. You 

should never inter go out now.” And Cousin 

Eleonora, who was apt to run in going up and 
down stairs, was back again in a jitfy. The 
delicate blue paper, with its silver E. D. held in 
a silver circle, was even prettier than Elizabeth 
had imagined. 

“And will you stay at the piano and sing, dear 
Cousin Eleonora?” she asked, “because it makes 
me feel more pleasanter.” 

“Yes, indeed I will.” And she sat down at the 
piano, and finished the verse, 

“Of all good things that Summer brings, 

The red rose seemeth best. ’ ’ 

Alice sat on the edge of the desk, and managed, 
with her little mother’s help, to hold the pen. 
As Mamma had taught Elizabeth, so now Eliza- 
beth taught her doll to first write in the upper 
right hand corner the name of the town, South 
Sherburne. (Sherburne means “clear water.”) 
Under the town Alice wrote the date, Septem- 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 


133 


ber 17, 18 — . Somewhat lower, but now to the 
left of the page, she wrote ‘‘Deer Grate — Gran- 
muther.’’ The next line Cousin Eleonora told 
her should start under the letter n, and Elizabeth 
wrote, — 

My Mamma is reading the Seven Title Sisters. But 
thay dont live in one place like Aunt Chariot and Aunt 
Sophie and Mamma do. Thay are in diferunt cuntries. 
I am reading the part about the brown baby now. 
Cousn Elenora got the book from the librerry. It has 
piktures of all the seven litle sisters. It tells about all 
thare cuntries. I wish I was an Eskymow. 

With love from Alice. 

P. S. Thank you very much for the cwilt. I like 
it on my crib, A. D. 

Elizabeth began to think she liked letter-writ- 
ing. She decided it would be fun to have a post- 
office out-of-doors, and then Charlotte’s dolls and 
hers could write letters to one another. She left 
Cousin Eleonora singing ‘ ‘ Loch Lomond, ’ ’ and ran 
to find Charlotte and tell her about the plan. 
Charlotte, too, thought it would be fun. 

“Only I can’t spell but only four words,” said 
she. 

“What are they?” asked Elizabeth, anxiously. 

“Cat and Bat and Rat and Sat.” 

“P’r’aps if I helped, a letter could be made 
of those,” said Elizabeth, a bit doubtfully. And 


134 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


this was Charlotte’s first attempt, printed in 
large letters, with Elizabeth’s help. 

Dear Susie Jane, 

I sat and saw the cat til a rat came, and then I tuk 
a bat and hit the cat so then it did not hert that rat, 
Frum Boby Shaftow. 

‘H’ll write your next letter,” said big brother 
Bob, who had been watching the children, ^‘but 
first, where is your post-office to be?” 

don’t know,” said Elizabeth, ‘^Out in the 
field, I guess.” 

‘‘Oh, it’s too hot there,” said big brother Bob, 
“I’ll tell you a bully place. Look at this hole in 
the old oak!” 

Sure enough, there was a deep hollow, all 
nicely rounded out. Next month the squirrels 
might claim it for their winter’s store of nuts, 
but now it could very well be a post-office. And 
when it came Charlotte’s turn again, big brother 
Bob wrote for her. 

My beloved Alice, 

Yesterday Uncle Bob went to Boston, and bought 
something for my mother, and it is up on her bed in a 
brown paper parcel. 

Yours with deep esteem, 

Rosie. 

Rosie was one of Charlotte’s dolls. 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 135 


Sophie was the post-mistress, and after this 
letter had been placed in the hole, Alice walked 
up and said, 

‘Hs there any mail for me to-day?’^ 

^‘What is the number of your boxU’ asked 
Sophie. 

^‘8724,’’ said Alice. 

^H’ll see then,’’ said Sophie. ^‘Yes, miss, 
there’s a letter for you, and it’s marked special 
delivery, — that means ‘awfully important.’ ” 

With Sophie’s help the letter was read. 

“The important part is for you, Charlotte,” 
said Sophie. “Go and see what Bob has put on 
your bed!” 

The two little girls raced into the house and 
upstairs, and there, as the letter had said, on 
Charlotte’s bed was a brown paper parcel. She 
very quickly opened it, and found a charming lit- 
tle box of doll’s notepaper. The paper was in 
three colors, — pink, blue, and yellow, and on 
every sheet was a little picture of some animal, 
— a kitten on one, a woolly lamb on another, and 
so on. 

“Oh, goody, goody!” cried Charlotte, “and you 
shall have a sheet of every color, and a ambe- 
lope,” she said to Elizabeth. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent most 
happily by the little sisters. Besides the letters 


136 


CHIMNEY COKNER TALES 


that passed between the dolls, they wrote letters 
to all the members of the family; and Jack, as 
postman, delivered them, and brought back the 
answer. Of these return letters Alice received 
her full share. Uncle Nathaniel said he had 
talked with her too lately to write himself, but 
that he would, instead, send a letter from the 
Nursery Fire-place. This is it: 

My dear Alice, 

If any doll is in trouble I would gladly defender , but 
your tears especially I wood ever brush away. No 
tongxxe can tell the flame that burns within me. One 
would hod\y suppose that a child of your size could 
kindle such burning love, but I am a warm-hearted 
creature, — in fact no-one hearth such love for you 
as I. Yes, I long to see you once more. When I do, 
I may shove httle popcorn into your hands. Remember 
to hang your stocking by me next Christmas. Whatever 
the weather, then we shall surely meet, for no snow- 
driftwood keep us apart. 

Yours with grate ear ^/uness, as the Irishman said, 

Uncle Nathaniel. 

Guess what my last chapter is to be about, and 
I will tell you the answer on the next page. 


CHAPTER X 


THE dolls’ CHKISTMAS 

^‘TT’S almost Christmas!” cried Uncle Na- 
X thaniel, ^^and so I have to jump downstairs 
four steps at a time !” 

He said this because Aunt Ellen was looking 
shocked. Behind him, jumping two steps at a 
time, came Elizabeth and Alice, Sophie, Jack, and 
little Charlotte. 

Mamma appeared at the dining-room door. 

‘H’m so sorry, Nathaniel, about your break- 
fast ! ’ ’ she began. ‘ ‘ The kitchen stove won ’t work, 
and Fiske hasn’t come up. I’m afraid you’ll 
have to make out with bread and milk.” 

‘^What do I care? Christmas is coming 

And he seized the children’s hands, and danced 
around the dining-room table. 

Bread and milk is quite suitable for him,” 
said Papa, laughing. 

‘‘And yet,” said Uncle Nathaniel, taking his 
place at the table next Charlotte, “it grieves me 
to think that stove acts so. Here I’ve kept it 
warm all winter!” 


137 


138 


CHIMNEY COKNEE TALES 


^^YouV^ said Mamma. 

‘^And now it refuses to work!’’ went on Uncle 
Nathaniel. ^‘Dressed always in the latest style! 
I met it with a stove-pipe on this morning. 
‘Going out?’ said I. It turned ashy pale. 
‘You’re always putting a damper on me!’ I 
heard it say — ‘Well, sir, just you remember one 
thing’ said I, ‘no smoking allowed in this 
house!’ ” 

“I don’t like just only bread for breakfast!” 
whined Charlotte. “Not like it!” said Uncle 
Nathaniel opening his eyes very wide, “Why, I 
don’t believe any one told you about it’s being 
Baker^s bread, you know. Can I have as much 
as a whole slice?” turning to Mamma. 

“75 it Baker’s bread?” asked Charlotte, doubt 
fully. 

“Yes, honey,” said Cousin Eleonora. Char- 
lotte smiled, and began to crumble her bread into 
her bowl of milk, while Mrs. Dale, who had sat 
down to breakfast with a look of worry, began to 
feel at ease. 

“See how it’s snowing!” said Uncle Nathaniel. 

“I don’t see one leastest bit,” said Charlotte, 
twisting around in her high chair to look out at 
the bright blue sky. 

“Oh, not out there!'' and down came the last 
third of Uncle Nathaniel’s slice of bread in a 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 139 


shower of snowy flakes into his bowl ; for he had 
insisted upon having a bowl of milk with the 
children. 

‘‘My crust is hard and cold,” said Jack. 

“Hurrah! Just the thing for icicles,” said 
Uncle Nathaniel; and he took Jack’s crust, and 
cut it in flve long strips, turning it, as if by magic, 
into a delicious treat. 

Cousin Eleonora thought of the cheerless table 
at the Howland’s grand house, whenever there 
came a hitch in the kitchen machinery. She 
looked at Jack’s now joyous face and Charlotte’s 
contented one, and at Elizabeth keeping a motherly 
eye on her pink-cheeked daughter. She looked 
at Mrs. Dale’s smooth brow, and then at 
Uncle Nathaniel, so eager and boyish. Cousin 
Eleonora thought a bachelor uncle was a pretty 
good thing to have in a house. Hannah thought 
so too as, from the kitchen, she heard them all 
shouting with laughter. 

Yes, it was the day before Christmas! And 
Sophie, Elizabeth and Charlotte were soon busy 
tying up parcels. Alice had taken the last stitch 
in every one of her gifts, and now sat with folded 
hands. For her Mamma she had made a book- 
mark of scarlet ribbon, with a silver star sewed 
on each end. For her eldest sister, Edith Grace 
Ermyntrude, she had made a fan. The fan was 


140 


CHIMNEY COKNER TALES 


first outlined upon card-board and cut out, and 
then gilt paper smoothly pasted over it. (Sophie 
made the paste, of flour and water.) An edge 
of blue laced paper was pasted on the fan. For 
her darling sister, Susie Jane, Alice had printed 
a tiny story-book, telling all she could remember 
about the ‘‘Seven Little Sisters.’’ She wrote 
Susie Jane’s name on it, with ink, and never a blot! 
The cover was of Gordon plaid silk stitched up- 
on card-board. Alice could hardly sleep a wink 
for thinking of how glad Susie Jane would be 
when she should use the book. For Jamie Gor- 
don she had bought a watch at the Doll Shop. 
The watch was so large, or rather Jamie Gordon 
was so particularly small, that it bade fair to 
cover a large share of his favorite costume, the 
bathing-suit. The hands of the watch wouldn’t 
move, but then, they pointed always to one 
o’clock, a charming hour since it was dinner- 
time. 

There was a present from Alice to Cousin 
Eleonora, too, — a handkerchief, hemmed with 
large stitches to be sure; and yet I have seen 
larger, and Mamma said she was sure she had. 

Now don’t you think that was a very nice col- 
lection of gifts for a little doll to make? 

At bed-time not only the children’s stockings 
but all the family’s (except Aunt Ellen’s, who 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 141 


said ‘‘Catch me!^^) were hung up by the nursery 
fire-place. Uncle Nathaniel was over six feet 
tall, and his feet of a size to match, yet he 
thought it necessary, before he hung up his gray 
sock, to stretch it by squeezing into it one of his 
riding-boots. Next to this large sock hung Baby 
Hugh’s wee white one; and all the dolls’ stock- 
ings came promptly into line. 

I haven’t room to tell you what went into all 
of them, but Alice’s and Susie Jane’s held each, 
among other things, a pair of doll’s knitting- 
needles, with balls of knitting-silk, Alice’s pink, 
and Susie Jane’s green. There was also in each 
a little bit of a doll, so small you wouldn’t be- 
lieve it could have on the usual underclothes, but 
there, under the blue silk frock, they were, — but- 
toned, if you please! 

Jack put a generous bag of peanut candy in 
Uncle Nathaniel’s sock. “He doesn’t eat candy 
much,” he thought, “but I guess he’ll do some- 
thing with it.” 

“Try to go to sleep, dearie,” whispered 
Elizabeth to Alice, as she finally left her in her 
crib, staring with wide blue eyes. “You want to 
be good and rested for to-morrow!” 

It seems every year as if Christmas morning 
would never, never come, doesn’t it? And then, 
— it is here ! And this one was such a Christmas 


142 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


morning! The round-faced sun was so eager to 
see the insides of children’s stockings that he 
looked daringly in every window. The ice-clad 
trees flashed Merry Christmas!” one to 
another; and on all sides of the house, as one 
looked off over the fields, lay snow — snow — snow ! 

And as the sun looked in at the Dale’s nursery, 
he saw all the family (except Aunt Ellen, who 
had warned them, ^^Now don’t wake me at any 
unearthly hour!”) hopping about the fireplace. 
Yes, hopping; even Grandpapa was hopping, as 
he tooted a most beautiful bran-new horn. Uncle 
Nathaniel was riding a hobby-horse, and big 
brother Bob beating a drum. 

Susie Jane and Alice kissed each other in rap- 
ture as they found their cunning knitting-needles 
and the little bits of dolls. 

Where was Baby Hugh? Oh, he was up half- 
way to the ceiling, tossed by Papa, and crowing 
loudly, while Jack sent his scarlet-and- white ball 
even higher. But, alas! as the ball came down, 
it hit Charlotte’s blue stocking, which she had not 
quite emptied, and sent her new jointed doll fly- 
ing into the fire, kicking frantically as it went. 
Big brother Bob sprang to the rescue, but the 
flames were too quick for him. Poor little Char- 
lotte, her new daughter gone even before she had 
seen her wooden face, burst into tears. 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 143 

Elizabeth dropped Alice, and ran to the little 
sister. 

‘‘Charlotte!’^ she cried, ‘‘Charlotte! see! You 
shall have the little hit of a doll. Isn't it cun- 
ning? Isn't it cunninger than yours? See its 
blue silk dress, Charlotte!" 

And Charlotte looked, and thought she could 
be happy again. 

Papa and Mamma exchanged glances and 
smiled. 

Cousin Eleonora had hung evergreen wreaths 
in all the downstairs windows. They were tied 
with cheerful red ribbons. The breakfast-table 
was garlanded with holly, and had at Papa's end 
a bunch of mistletoe (because he was partly 
English), and at Mamma's end a bunch of 
heather (because she was partly Scotch). 

Elizabeth and Charlotte instantly spied in one 
corner a doll's table, spread with a white cloth, 
and upon it a doll's teaset, of such a pretty de- 
sign, all sprinkled with rose-buds, that both little 
girls jumped up and down, and clapped and 
clapped their hands ! Bobby Shaftoe, clad in a be- 
coming new sailor-suit, stepped gracefully to the 
head of the table, and Edith Grace Ermyntrude, 
in festive white silk, rustled to her place op- 
posite. The other dolls (Alice's frock was cherry, 
and Susie Jane's blue) were soon seated along 


144 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


the sides, and bibs (bordered with holly) were 
found at their places. 

All the family wished Hannah a Merry Christ- 
mas, as she came in, looking very proud of the 
dish of muffins she set upon the table. The 
muffins were shaped like bells, and Uncle Na- 
thaniel made believe cry when he found his bell 
wouldn’t ring. 

‘‘You needn’t make’ your beds this morning, 
darlings,” said Mamma, as everyone got up 
from the breakfast table. “We’re all going on a 
sleighride to Dover; we’re going to get Aunt 
Alice and your cousin Polly, and bring them home 
for the night.” 

Then what rejoicing! For you remember I 
told you Aunt Alice was a perfect love. And as 
for Polly, the P in her name might just as well 
have been a J, though what the grown-ups said 
was that she was her Uncle Nathaniel over again 
to a T. 

Jingle, jingle, jingle! Round came the green 
and scarlet sleigh , — such a big one! — drawn by 
Mettie and Jog. The horses tossed their heads, 
and stamped upon the snow. You could see their 
breath in the frosty air. 

Alice sat on the front seat in Elizabeth’s lap, 
a little gray fur hood drawn closely around her 
rosy cheeks, and her long gray coat buttoned 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 145 


every button, to keep out the cold. Everyone 
piled in, and away they went down the road, — 
jingle, jingle, jingle! 

But perhaps the happiest part of the day was 
toward its close, when they had the Tree. Merry 
as everyone had been throughout the day, they 
were then even merrier. Mr. Tom Gray and the 
Hallowells were invited over to share the fun. 
Mamma and Cousin Eleonora trimmed the Tree, 
all but the candles. Mr. Tom put those on, and 
they stood as straight as soldiers. 

^H’m so happy I don’t know what to do!” said 
Elizabeth. And, as a vent to her feelings, she 
concluded to kiss Aunt Alice. 

It was exactly as if all the seasons had joined 
to form the Tree. There were the white blos- 
soms of Spring bursting out everywhere, call 
them popcorn if you will. If you wanted June 
Roses you had only to look at Cousin Eleonora in 
her pink merino, and at the glowing faces of the 
children grouped about her knees. Surely those 
were Autumn fruits hanging amid the branches! 
And the Fir-tree, self-forgetful, content to be al- 
most hidden, stood yet for the Winter joy of 
Christmas. 

Alice had a little tree of her own, brought by 
Aunt Alice. You may be sure she shared it with 
all the other dolls. One of her own presents was 


146 


CHIMNEY CORNER TALES 


a mite of a doll much like the one given to com- 
fort Charlotte in the morning. Its frock was of 
pink merino, just like Cousin Eleonora’s gown, 
and I think this kind cousin made it. Another 
present was a sled big enough to hold two dolls. 
Big brother Bob made it. It was painted scar- 
let, and had Alice” in white letters on the side. 
Jack immediately gave Alice and Susie Jane a 
ride around the tree, that they might see its 
splendors from all sides. 

The presents of the grown-ups didn’t look very 
interesting, — just stupid aprons, paper-cutters, 
dry books, etc. Yet the grown-ups looked 
pleased. Especially did Aunt Alice look happy 
when, at night-fall, big brother Bob put into her 
hands a bunch of white roses, and she found 
tucked among them this verse of Stevenson’s: — 

‘‘Chief of our aunts, — not only I, 

But all your dozen of nurselings cry — 

What did the other children do? 

And what were childhood, wanting you?” 

If there only were another chapter, I could ask 
you to guess who slept in a little cot beside Aunt 
Alice’s bed that night, and snuggled in with her 
the first thing in the morning, to hear about 
Christmas in the olden time. Then, by merely 
turning over the page I could tell you that it was 


A CHEERFUL LITTLE GIRL 147 


Elizabeth. But you see there isnH any next 
chapter. This is all. 

Dear little girl, have you liked to hear about 
Elizabeth and Alice? Put your hand in mine for 
goodbye. May I send my love to your doll? I 
wish you both a very 

Merry Christmas! 


THE END 






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